Oversharing is Not Caring!

We've all heard the saying "sharing is caring" at some point in our lives. As kids, we usually heard this during some petty fit of selfishness. At the Circle, however, this saying means something completely different. The Circle, having become completely dependent on technology, adopts a policy of transparency where the mantras "secrets are lies", "privacy is theft", and "sharing is caring,"are held as dogma. In our "real" world, the Circle's policy of transparency would simply not work due to people's inherent craving for privacy and peace.

For Circlers, privacy is almost non-exitnent. It is this world that Mae is forced to live in. Within time the Circle's technologies and capabilities get downright creepy, as people's entire lives are available for anyone to see. Many Circlers submissively embrace the doctrine, whereas Mae is hesitant. When discovers that Francis has recorded a sexual encounter between the two, Mae cries, "Francis. I can't believe this. Delete that. Now" (Eggers 205). In this incident, even an elite Circler is demanding privacy.

Photo Credit: Ervins Strauhmanis

In the real world, sexual intimacy is one of the most private aspects of people's lives. This is a case where privacy is not a "theft" of any kind. I believe Francis is actually stealing Mae's privacy. And the fact that Francis refuses to delete the video, would be considered an inexcusable sexual crime. Not to mention that anyone in the real world would consider it downright creepy. I was disgusted by Francis! Still, other Circles crave complete transparency. For example, Annie tells Mae that "[they] don't delete [at the Circle]" (206). Even Mae's friend, Annie, values the company over privacy.

Along with transparency, sharing is central principle in Circle life. Every Circler just wants to get the highest PartiRank possible, and to do that they must share, share, and share some more. When Mae takes a break from work and visits her parents and ex-boyfirend, Mercer, she is unable to stop herself from being sucked into technology. Mae becomes immersed in getting "smiles" on her shared photo of Mercer's chandelier. She is so removed from reality, that her mother states, "... I just don't understand why you do this now. We're trying to enjoy a nice dinner" (259). Although Mae has good intentions, her oversharing angers her family and ex-boyfriend.

A person immersed in their phone.
Photo Credit: Roberto Trombetta

In a similar way, in real life, I can often become so engrossed in my phone that I need someone to tap me on the shoulder and bring me back to reality. Just like Mercer, though, I can become frustrated when my friends are on their phones all the time. Also, I don't always want my information shared on the internet. Perhaps I don't want a certain selfie on the internet. Or maybe I prefer to keep all my information private and off the internet. In the real world, people don't want everything to be known about them. In the real world, people value face-to-face interaction. The Circle's ideas and values would not hold any bearing in the real world.