Rant: My 12 year old asked if I 'hide my cookies' and I realized how dumb privacy has gotten

She was talking about browser cookies after a school lesson on staying safe online, and it hit me that we're teaching kids to dodge trackers while corporations vacuum up everything anyway, doesn't that feel backwards to anyone else?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.noah1mo ago

I mean, I get why it feels backwards, but I actually think teaching kids about cookies is one of the more practical things schools do. A 12 year old probably already has a phone or a tablet and is clicking on stuff without thinking, so knowing the basics of tracking is better than nothing. My nephew showed me a free game site that was basically a cookie farm, so at least now she knows what to look for. The real problem is that we can't fix the corporate part easily, so giving kids some control over their own little corner feels like a small win. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have her ask about cookies than just assume everything online is safe.

grace_knight701mo ago

It's like we're teaching kids to lock their bike but not stopping people from stealing them.