Perceptions of Privacy

Begin by asking students how important their privacy is to them. (You may ask them to rate it on a scale of one to five, with one being a very low priority and five being a very high priority.) Ask those who say it is unimportant why they are not concerned. (They may feel that they have nothing to hide, that nobody is interested in violating their privacy, or that privacy is over-rated.) Ask students to give specific examples of real or feared violations of their privacy, which you may compile on the blackboard.

Using the examples raised by students, have the class try to define what is meant by “privacy.” Is it an absolute (you either have privacy or you don’t) or a relative thing (you can have more or less privacy)? Is privacy more important in some contexts than others (online vs. offline, at home vs. at school, etc.)?