Yet, I have to believe the cult of privacy is a relatively modern concept which has already fallen out of favour due to the arrival of the Internet. Maybe it was mass culture and the rise of copyright that allowed a concept of privacy to develop at all. Certainly, for the majority of human existence, very little could have been kept from the prying eyes of the tribe, clan, or extended family. I grew up in a traditional nuclear family but also in a small town. Some folks now worry about the ability of firms such as amazon.com to track customer preferences. I grew up, however, knowing that the shopkeeper at the village market knew my exact purchases. The old guy probably knew what half the town was having for dinner. I suppose, however, if people wanted something kept secret, they purchased out of town. No wonder condoms didn't sell well at the Community Store.
I also remember the early days of BBSing and the Internet. Lots of people wanted to keep all their information offline although I could never quite understand why. Perhaps people didn't know how difficult it was to actually get a visitor to a specific page or website. Of course, the aversion to online information has changed for most people. They accept they'll have some facts about themselves online just as they expect to be seen by others when walking down a city sidewalk.
Moreover, younger people who've grown up with this media realize the stuff that's out there mustn't be an albatross. Many in this generation know that records of teen indiscretions can never be reined in. Therefore, they've already adapted to the new reality. Being drunk in a photo during one's freshman year in college shouldn't really have a negative affect four years later when hunting for a job. Kids know that already and thankfully they are starting to muscle into positions in Human Resource Departments as we speak ...