Louis D. Brandeis, co-author of the 1890 Harvard Law Review article “The Right to Privacy,” believed that the press at the time was, “overstepping in every direction the obvious bounds of propriety and decency.” Brandeis criticized media outlets at the time for their invasiveness while urging lawmakers to include legislation that protected one’s right to privacy. Over one hundred years later, our society is still struggling to find a balance between the public’s right to know and the individual’s right to privacy.

Recently, the bizarre story of Manti Te’o and the elaborate online hoax he was involved in has put this uneasy balance into focus. Te’o, a standout linebacker at Notre Dame, had garnered significant attention for the heartbreaking story of his girlfriend’s tragic death during the season.

The above photo was one of several images used in Lennay Kekua’s fake online profiles.

However, as we now have come to know, this girlfriend never existed. In fact, it was a cruel and intricate hoax orchestrated by a catfisher.

What is most troubling about this entire story isn’t whether or not Te’o knew what was going on, but America’s obsession with the story itself. Since the story broke, the Te’o hoax has received top billing from nearly every major media outlet. Suddenly, this 22-year-old’s entire life has come under constant and extreme scrutiny.

Was Manti Te’o directly involved in the hoax? We don’t know. He and everyone in his campy adamantly deny any involvement in the scam. From a distant perspective, it appears as if he’s an innocent and naive young man who was too embarrassed to come forward when the truth initially came out.

Yet, our culture is devouring this story with what appears to be an insatiable appetite. The public pounces feverishly on every new update and the media compete relentlessly for exclusive information. Isn’t this overkill for a story that basically boils down to a too trusting young adult allegedly getting duped? If you felt inspired by Te’o’s story and rooted for him because of it, yes, you have the right to be upset by this. But, why has an essentially victimless crime become the single most attention getting story in the country?

Our society’s incessant need to know drives a non-stop news cycle that has become increasingly invasive within our lives. In an era of immediate access to information, Te’o has become the latest victim to fall into the public eye. As a result, the athlete and those around him have been forced to defend him publicly on numerous occasions. For some reason, the public continuously demands answers from him that he simply may not have.

Te’o deserves a measure of privacy to gather himself in what is obviously a tumultuous time for him and his family.

America needs to move on to a real news story and give this kid a break.