A Two Way Mirror
Most of us have access to technology. We use our phones, tablets, and computers for everyday purposes such as school work, gaming, and communicating with out friends and family. The access to media we have is extensive. It has enabled us to do so many things in our lives. We can make the argument that it has made our lives easier and better. I am also sure that you are all vaguely aware that the flip side of a better life, is that all these companies are making profiles of us based on what we do with our media. If you are not aware of that, you are now. However, I am not sure that we know the extent of what they do.
As you use media, you are being profiled. As you look online you are being profiled. You going about town with your phone, you are being profiled. GPS, Wi-Fi, your browsing data, all provide these companies with an insight to your life. The whole reason for these companies doing this is because they wanted to improve our lives by giving us better communications, access to information and tools, as well as ads we actually wanted to receive. All of that sounds great right? Well, guess what, our world has changed. Everything you do can be tracked. Every keystroke, every text, everything you ask can be tracked as you go through your media. All of this technology from computers and tablets, to your smart TV and fitbit track what you do. They take all this information, and not only build an online profile about you. They piece together your entire life. They piece together everything you do in life while you are not online and accessing media. They can find out where you live, who you know, what you do for a living, your hobbies, everything.
Are you afraid yet? In short all of this technology and media works two ways. It helps you by giving you better communications, better access to information and tools, but it also helps the companies by giving them access to your life. The information is flowing two ways now. Setting aside the clear violations of privacy, which we have all agreed to when we chose to not read those contracts, there is a new risk that is not just the hacking and selling of information. It is much worse. It is the fact that these companies now can now shift their advertisement techniques to fit each individual. They are going to be able to change it for each person, and that does not necessarily mean for the better. What if health insurance companies were able to get access to our information, could they raise their prices because of the information they have? What if a bank got our information and saw our spending habits and finances? Could they then already have made up their minds about that loan before you even have come to ask them? Am I being overly protective over our privacy and information?
Now consider this, these companies have only scratched the surface of personal data analysis. Companies are developing new algorithms and technology for them to process, analyze, and profile our data. Consider the fact that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a very real possibility. Those who do not know what AI is, it is basically Watson from IBM but better. AI is a computer that is able to think for itself. It is able to think and make decisions for itself without human input. With that, data analysis will be refined even more. Forget about the fear of hacking or privacy violations because those are the fears of the past. The real threat comes from when people learn how to read the ones and zeroes of our digital data book. Remember when looking at the screen when browsing through media, there are millions of eyes looking back. Consider those possibilities and ask yourself, where do we draw the line? Are you going to be able to accept the outcomes of others having access to your data?
Look at this article for more in depth information:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/08/scary-new-ways-the-internet-profiles-you
As you use media, you are being profiled. As you look online you are being profiled. You going about town with your phone, you are being profiled. GPS, Wi-Fi, your browsing data, all provide these companies with an insight to your life. The whole reason for these companies doing this is because they wanted to improve our lives by giving us better communications, access to information and tools, as well as ads we actually wanted to receive. All of that sounds great right? Well, guess what, our world has changed. Everything you do can be tracked. Every keystroke, every text, everything you ask can be tracked as you go through your media. All of this technology from computers and tablets, to your smart TV and fitbit track what you do. They take all this information, and not only build an online profile about you. They piece together your entire life. They piece together everything you do in life while you are not online and accessing media. They can find out where you live, who you know, what you do for a living, your hobbies, everything.
Are you afraid yet? In short all of this technology and media works two ways. It helps you by giving you better communications, better access to information and tools, but it also helps the companies by giving them access to your life. The information is flowing two ways now. Setting aside the clear violations of privacy, which we have all agreed to when we chose to not read those contracts, there is a new risk that is not just the hacking and selling of information. It is much worse. It is the fact that these companies now can now shift their advertisement techniques to fit each individual. They are going to be able to change it for each person, and that does not necessarily mean for the better. What if health insurance companies were able to get access to our information, could they raise their prices because of the information they have? What if a bank got our information and saw our spending habits and finances? Could they then already have made up their minds about that loan before you even have come to ask them? Am I being overly protective over our privacy and information?
Now consider this, these companies have only scratched the surface of personal data analysis. Companies are developing new algorithms and technology for them to process, analyze, and profile our data. Consider the fact that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a very real possibility. Those who do not know what AI is, it is basically Watson from IBM but better. AI is a computer that is able to think for itself. It is able to think and make decisions for itself without human input. With that, data analysis will be refined even more. Forget about the fear of hacking or privacy violations because those are the fears of the past. The real threat comes from when people learn how to read the ones and zeroes of our digital data book. Remember when looking at the screen when browsing through media, there are millions of eyes looking back. Consider those possibilities and ask yourself, where do we draw the line? Are you going to be able to accept the outcomes of others having access to your data?
Look at this article for more in depth information:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/08/scary-new-ways-the-internet-profiles-you
I think the point that you bring up about people being monitored through phones is very interesting. It should cause for us to question safety when we are online. Due to this, we should not only limiter what we post online and show, but also how we use media sources. I think that understands how companies are able to minuets our lives is very useful, as what we put out there will represent us for the rest of our lives. Not only this, but showing our likes and dislikes online sets us up for ads from companies that will force us to buy their products.
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