Huffington Post blogger Karen Kisslinger has taught stress reduction and relaxation classes in public and private high schools for two decades. Kissinger believes a world where teens are plugged in 24/7 to electronic devices creates stress and a distorted sense of privacy:
I have absolutely no idea what is going on in the minds of teenagers who have been weaned on instant messaging, television, myspace, cell phones, e-mail, and laptops. One thing I know, is that they have absolutely no sense of privacy as I have always understood it, and that that fact alone is a stress on their nervous systems.
They are always "on" and available, and what is most interesting is that they want to be... They value that, and many actually experience anxiety if they are cut off from electronic connection... And find themselves, heaven forbid, in silence…
Privacy is vital to healing. Privacy is vital for self-reflection and self-discovery, a welcome relief from bouncing off everyone else's reality and opinions all the time, an opportunity to find one's own stance for taking on life. Privacy is not loneliness, and unless we stop creating so many lonely people in the midst of rampant "tele-COMMUNICATION", we will find a lot of people missing the richness of life that can develop in private solitude and quiet. Walden is required reading for a good reason.