It’s difficult to know what goes on in the dark.

And the dark is exactly where the United States government would like to keep Americans when it comes to the policies and dealings surrounding the controversial methods used for intelligence gathering by the National Security Agency.

Americans were made aware of the NSA’s use of the program PRISM that gave them access to data from Google, Facebook, Apple and other companies, as well as their use of American phone records in the first week of June.

The reactions to the NSA leaks were swift and emotional, as U.S. citizens directed their anger toward the government or the leaker, Edward Snowden.

But time went on, as it always does, and the millennial generation did as it always does. They forgot. They moved on. They became passive.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, the New York Times released an article disclosing new information on the NSA from documents Snowden released. These documents show that NSA has been investing billions of dollars in tools and “back doors” that would allow them to crack encryptions meant to keep personal and private information safe.

Though the names of tech companies were not included in the article, it was stated that NSA had worked with several companies to build such back doors into their products.

And here’s the kicker: NSA began this as far back as 2000.

Placing blame on liberals, on conservatives, President Barack Obama or President George W. Bush is just not possible. Involvement and blame can be spread across the board — including the American people themselves if they choose to allow it to continue.

It has been stated over and over again these programs were created to protect the American people, but as more and more information on NSA programs are revealed such excuses become harder and harder to believe. Especially when it is revealed that programs such as this one, code-named Bullrun, began before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

It’s disconcerting to be blinded by the very government that is supposed to be protecting its people, and it’s even worse when you have no idea if your private information has remained just that — private.

Taking to Facebook to announce displeasure toward NSA, U.S. government or Snowden in a carefully worded, sarcasm-dripping status will not solve anything.

If anything, it just feels ironic.

The millennial generation has grown up with online platforms defining or being incorporated in nearly every portion of our daily lives. The importance of the “online” aspect of our lives is not going to decline in the future; it will continue to grow.

It’s time to take the blindfold off and become part of the solution. As the largest users of online platforms, millennials must be part of the process to define the limits of NSA power in spying in the online world. It’s time to care.

Somewhere along the line, the American people forgot they were powerful, forgot they had a voice that could reach so much further than Facebook or Twitter.

Placing blame is the easy part, but it doesn’t solve the problem. The private realm is a necessity for the success of our country and should be defended vehemently and publicly.

This is what NSA doesn’t want the American people to remember: We don’t have to stay in the dark.