When Did People Begin to Believe that Sharing their Lives with Complete Strangers was an Even Remotely Sane Idea?

[Siri137]

I don't even specifically have online social media (like 'Facebook') in mind when I ask this, because it sometimes happens in real life as well, and I'm left wondering why a person would be compelled to reveal an intimate detail about themselves to someone they don't even know.

For example, I once went to a local market to buy an item of clothing, and there I was at the stall, about to pay for my purchase, when the stall-holder (a guy who would have been about 40 in age) began to tell me all about his habit of wearing his wife's clothes when she wasn't at home. I didn't do or say anything that could even remotely have suggested to him in any way, shape or form a desire to know about something like this, and it was all rather creepy. I just didn't want to know, and I just wanted to get away from him as fast as possible.

Whatever became of privacy, personal space, and being discreet? Why do so many now want to get up on their soap-boxes and tell the entire world about their nasty sexual habits, or the time they spent in prison?

[MementoMori777]

I share what I share, which isn't much because at the end of the day, their intentions can't beat the manace I can become if I get a bad feeling about them or they initiate a problem, i know I can outsmart these people, in always a step ahead and I make sure I always do when I share information.

[abc3643]

Approximately 2 million years ago when hominids arose.

There's an entire industry dedicated to it: It's called the health care industry.

[Siri137]

Health care industry? I don't understand. Explain.

[abc3643]

Sorry, you live in New Zealand - a civilized country.
I am in the United States where we do not have nationalized health care like civilized countries do.

Regardless, basically, when you are talking to medical professionals, you are often talking to people who are, in effect, strangers, yet you provide them with intimate details about yourself.

For example, in psychiatry, the patient sits with the psychiatrist and has an intimate conversation. The psychiatrist is a paid professional, not a "friend", and is often a stranger at first.
Furthermore, now, psychiatry is often conducted over the web. I have a friend of mine and that's what she does; she conducts counseling sessions over the web, for instance, using ZOOM or WebEx or Skype...

[sheenagwapa]

my plan before is to just be anonymous here online now i have free healthcare

[Siri137]

How is this relevant to the question? Healthcare has always been free anyway.

[KostasKouvalis]

Oh with complete strangers. In America, since always. Some girl was talking about her family problems to the bus driver for the entire bus to hear

[Siri137]

I don't live in America though.

[KostasKouvalis]

The Anglo countries are culturally very similar. I've heard Brits and Canadians do this too, so I'm not surprised you guys do.

I saw a Facebook meme before that said, "You have 10 friends and 1000 surveillance cameras

[jahaims]

Those people always existed. You have never been in public and have some weirdo just start talking to you? Those are they same people they just have social media now.

[DerekC321]

Sometimes you just need a connection

[Kelly6]

What?

lol