The Role of Technology in Changing the Understanding of Privacy Today

The concept of privacy has always existed since the dawn of time. As a result of multiple interpretations, this term, which has different connotations depending on society, period, and culture, has different definitions. Privacy in traditional societies meant guarding one's personal space, confidentiality, and private life. However, as the digital era has progressed, so has the meaning and understanding of privacy. The subject of this study is the change in individuals' sense of privacy in modern society in terms of sociology of religion. We can now continually exchange data via smartphones, social media platforms, and other online services. This data may contain a variety of personal information, such as online buying habits, search engine query records, geographical location, and so on. Social media platforms have evolved into a great tool for people to share their lives and communicate with people who are both relevant and irrelevant to them. However, these platforms have the potential to essentially erase privacy borders. While perusing social media, many of us do not hesitate to post our meals, excursions, relationships, and even emotional states. These social media posts expose private lives to the public. This necessitates redefining the boundaries of privacy. Privacy is a fundamental virtue that, as in the past, must be safeguarded in the era of technology. The purpose of this research is to discover theological and sociological changes in the idea of privacy, as well as the variables that influence it. In terms of the methodology of this study, I shall compare the phenomenon and understanding of privacy in traditional society types and today's society from the perspective of sociology of religion. It can be clearly observed that the understanding of privacy in the modern period has changed especially with the development of technology. Data privacy concerns and social media sharing require individuals to be more conscious about protecting their privacy. Individuals must understand how their personal data is utilized, strengthen their security measures, and take deliberate actions to preserve their privacy in the digital environment. Making people aware of this development highlights the significance of the study. As a result, there are theological and societal variances in the idea of privacy between traditional and modern societies.  In terms of privacy, traditional societies were more community-oriented, but modern societies are more individual-oriented. Because technology was not as prevalent in old communities as it is today, invasions of religious privacy were largely carried out through verbal communication. However, because of the widespread use of technology in today's culture, abuses of religious privacy are largely manifested visually through the sharing of images, films, voice recordings, and so on via social media and the internet. * This study is based on my master's thesis entitled "Muhafazakâr Moda Dergilerinde Mahremiyet Anlayışının Değişimi: Modanisa Örneği (The Change of the Understanding of Privacy in Conservative Fashion Magazines: The Example of Modanisa", which was completed in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Celaleddin Çelik (Kayseri: Erciyes University, Institute of Social Sciences, Master's Degree, 2023).