Question 3 Forum
Please refer to the reading assigned for Tuesday, February 27 on the class Schedule—"Invisible Manipulators of Your Mind" (Tamsin Shaw, The New York Review of Books, April 20, 2017). Please refer to the Question Formation and Response assignment regarding assignment criteria. You need not answer all the questions posed; rather; select a question or questions on which to write. Please identify yourself in your entry.
1. The internet is constantly collecting data on you for things such as your posts on social media, your search history, and the websites you visit. There is a machine learning very intimate details about you likes and behaviors, and furthermore, there are people behind these machines with motives of their own. Behavioral techniques of advertising have proven to be very efficient at influencing target audiences based on the psychographic profiles they have created for people through this information. The decisions we make on things such as what to buy, where to go, and who to vote for are constantly being influenced by an invisible force that we generally don’t even notice. How do you think your life and the decisions you make have been influenced by this force and how strong do you think this influence will become as technology further advances and is more and more relevant in our lives? -Joy Adler
2. Tamsin Shaw discusses heuristics, or rules of thumb, for quicker human decision making. Many shorthand expressions for our flawed intuitions have become well known in the field of behavioral sciences. Shaw mentions the availability heuristic as an easily visible example we can see in ourselves. It describes our “tendency to think that something is much more likely to occur if we happen to be, for contingent reasons, strongly aware of the phenomenon” (Shaw 2). If we were educated on how to eliminate these innate heuristics such as the availability heuristic, would we be better at processing data in our daily lives? Would we be smarter consumers, or would corporations find other ways to influence our decision making? – Jake Hooper
3. Everything you do online is recorded by algorithms and techniques by generators to determine what someone’s preferences are. In the article it says, “The findings of social psychology and behavioral economics are being employed to determine the news we read, the products we buy, the cultural and intellectual spheres we inhabit, and the human networks, online and in real life, of which we are a part” (Shaw, 1). To what extent would this idea/concept be taken too far? When would it be considered too much of an invasion of privacy? -Vincent Chen
4. With companies acquiring so much data on the things we like on social media and the things in our web browser history, it is possible to envision a future where companies no longer make products for the masses, rather, we would just pay them to look at our data history and create the product we truly want (ex. instead of looking everywhere for a perfect pair of shoes, you pay Nike and they build the pair of shoes your data says you would like). What would be the pros and cons of this future, and would you be ok living in it?- Christian Lysek
5.Throughout the writing, the author refrences behavioral studies done on humans. The studies are done on how humans think, feel and act. It is clear that the scientists are hired to report their studies to the government and even some corporations. Is it possible that the government and corporations use the facts from the studies to manipulate humans? If so, would you acknowledge the possibility that he government uses the discoveries from the studies as social control and the corporations use it to appeal to their target audience? How does it make you feel knowing that this is a possibility and would you act differently because of it? -Tyler Baylor
Response to question 1: I think my life has been greatly influenced by the data the internet has collected based on my search history, my likes, etc. I often see advertisements "following" me after I've searched them, and some of the time I like it because I am seeing things I will likely enjoy. I'm assuming advertisers and companies (like question 3 states) will eventually tailor products specifically based on the data the internet collects. This makes sense to me, and I don't see a huge problem with it at first thought, but the data they may collect could potentially be very intrusive and maybe too personal. Like we've also talked about, if this data is able to be sold and bought, an employer for example, could discriminate based on your search history, your medical history, or anything else the data could contain. It seems like it makes sense at first, but I think it could go from being helpful, to being dangerously intruisive the more and more information about individuals becomes accessible. -Remi Cox
I recently watched a Ted Talk about the invasion of our privacy due to technology, and in reference with this as well as the article, I think that our privacy has already been revoked. Many people these days put something over there webcams because they do not want to be watched by government agencies or hackers. It is not known to the public the exact extent of this privacy invasion either. I believe it is okay for someone to check in on what I am doing because I searched something that caused a red flag. In fact, I love looking up military news, facts, and documentaries so I feel that that already is something that they flag. However, there is a difference between following up on something and investigating; versus watching someone after they have cleared any chance of a threat or for no reason at all. In response to question 3: I do not see a major problem right now with the government using this data to help with suggestions or bring up “recommended pages”. If they somehow are watching us through a webcam to see what people do when they are not online and then suggesting things, that is an issue. It becomes more of spying, then collecting data. I understand that some internet surveillance is necessary for national security, but it is when they check it out and it seems okay, but they keep digging and watching, that is an issue. - Jessica Marino
Response to question 1:
The age of the internet has given us unprecedented access to knowledge. In an instant, I can order most anything online and have it delivered to my door by the end of the day. Google can answer any of my questions in the matter of seconds. Because of the internet, we are more connected and wired than ever before. However, not only are we connected to the internet, the internet is connected to us. Constantly tracking our movements, our shopping habits, our searches, our likes, advertising companies are able to curate a fool-proof advertisement that is proven to interest us. This subliminal influence is hard wired into our Facebook, Instagram, twitter, and tumblr news feeds. Though I generally have little issue with having tailored ads, I worry about the creation of so called “bubbles” of news articles and posts that further affirm one’s beliefs. By tailoring searches or posts in order to compliment one’s deep-seated beliefs, we create myopic, intolerant, and polarized citizens. Unless guidelines are put in place to eliminate tailored posts, then we will continue to create and promote ignorance. – Lakshya Ramani
Response to question 1:
I believe that the further technology goes, the easier our decision making will become manipulated. More money and resources will go into researching our behavioral tendencies, and as psychology progresses and can more easily become applied, our ability to make choices of our own free will will diminish. The power of suggestion is one that greatly influences what our brains perceive as possible choices. Seeing Brand A more than Brand B will make you more predisposed to choosing Brand A. This is why companies pay a lot of money in commercial advertising, or placing ads on our most visited websites. Furthermore, any feelings elicited towards a particular product can either influence you towards or away from that product and its competitors. For example, during the 2016 Presidential Election, many people, given between the options of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton felt more positive feelings towards Bernie, getting them to vote for him. When he was no longer a viable candidate, the race was down to Hillary vs Donald Trump, a man who elicited a lot of disdain among many voters. Hillary, however, wasn’t very popular either. The election was therefore mediated by who was the lesser of both evils, or who one person hated less than the other. Emotions, bias, and prejudice were all tactics that were employed in manipulating our decisions, which in some cases played a bigger role than rationality (who really thinks that that wall is going to get built?). But with the improvement of technology, as data becomes easier to acquire and machines can process them faster, information and technology will play a much bigger role in future elections and swaying our votes. Emotional tactics, however, can affect people differently. For example, the commercial with the sad dogs where they play that song, “In the Arms of an Angel”: I avoid that commercial because it makes me very sad, but others might feel guilty and compelled to donate money to ease their conscience. Again, when data becomes easier to collect and process, companies will perfect their ability to influence our behaviors in the way they want. Children fall victim easily, through greed and heightened susceptibility due to the nature of their naivity, grown ups through societal pressure. - Daniela Gil
Response to question 4: I think this is such an interesting concept. Especially becuase the original idea behind creating the internet was to connect everyone and create a more interwoven community of ideas and ideals. However, when it was created I don't think the founders took into account the effects that capitalism and consumerism would cause. Companies have found a way to profit off looking at what you search and then feeding you more of what you like which although at times can be beneficial for you and the company, it narrows people's focus and gives companies an imense amount of power over our oppinions and actions. Since actions are based on oppinons, and oppinions are based on what we know about the world, and we get our information about the world from the internet, it really defines who we are in a sense. I think that companies will infact continue to move in this derection. I also think that although it's not there yet, that this intense narrowing will continue to subdivide and fraction society because people will increasingly become more radicalized in their oppinions and not be open to what others think. Although these things were created to bring humanity together, I think in the end it will only push us further apart.
Response to question 3:
Taken at face value, having systems that can predict the types of things you would buy and the types of environments, both online and offline, you would visit is a fantastic technology. For instance, many people (myself included) think of things they need yet forget about them soon after. We already have products like Alexa which can listen to you talk about the things you need and remind you. They could even remember when you buy certain items, develop a timeframe of when you might need them again, and remind you before you even run out. This certain aspect would be extremely beneficial to most people, however could cause serious problems for people who abuse this power. If an individual is solely reliant on technology to tell them what to buy and when to buy it, they could forget how to take care of themselves. We would become the children of technology; always asking for things and crying when we don’t get it. This could also become a problem when buying luxuries. If Alexa knows that I want to buy something, she’ll relentlessly show me that product until I break down and buy it. People, especially people with a lack of self-control, could easily start buying things they can’t afford. This might be an over exaggeration for a large majority of the populous, but it could definitely happen. These systems could also push you to only interact with people, either online or offline, that you agree with. This, in my opinion, is the most dangerous part about this idea. The internet was created with the idea that it would bring people together. However, it is quickly pulling people apart. Individuals are simply sticking to the information that agrees with them and shutting out any other viewpoints. If technologies like Alexa are continued to be developed to push people towards everything that they like, we will become more separated than ever and won’t be able to comprehend another person’s viewpoints. That being said, Alexa is a great tool and I fully support artificial intelligence. I do, however, believe that there should be serious thought put into the idea of any AI being allowed to run our lives. – Bradley Lundgren
Answer to question 3:
I think that many people already consider how our data is collected and used as an invasion of privacy. I know a lot of people who have been surprised, and in some cases disturbed when advertisements tailored to the appear on their screen. As we have discussed in class before, it really comes down to how much of your privacy are you willing to give up in order to have more access and convenience on the internet. One problem that we face is that many people do not actually know how much of their privacy they are giving up when they visit certain websites and such. For example, some websites have in small text, “we collect cookies”, which they use to track what you are doing, but I’d be that most people do not even know what that means or entails. Because everyone is thoroughly dependent on the internet, I do not think this practice is going to go away. Even people who know that there information is being collected still continue to use the internet and those websites that do collect data, for the most part. This type of data collection is only going to increase in normality because it has already become socially acceptable and is clearly profitable. There’s no denying that some websites have been criticized for using people’s data, however, it doesn’t seem that there is really much repercussion for them. Using the Facebook example, we can see that they were manipulating people and looking very deeply into their data, and they still remain one of the largest and most prevalent social media sites out there.
- Andrew Fitz
In response to question 1:
There is almost no doubt that most of our lives, especially in our day in age growing up in this very technologically advanced era, we have been pretty much been persuaded in every decision we make. From what candy to buy to what state and countries are the best to live in. Before we mention that this force has only been around recently, we need to state that this is idea is not relatively new, there has been propaganda before. There is a reason that we have had cultures develop and subset groups form among people, and that is that we have always been influenced in one way or another by people and their actions. If someone were to see in a newspaper that their local town is planning to tear down a building, and that a lot of others are okay with this decision, then of course we are more likely to agree with a decision like this. It would be ignorant to believe that this force of behavioral techniques has only recently popped up and that advertising is something that we as a new generation have to deal with. If anything, the only real change that has happened is that now, it is so much easier to get a message across to more people. As technology advances we will get this same information at a much quicker speed, it will adapt at a much higher pace and know how to target people. This is force of advertising has affect all of our lives, in that we make decisions based off what we see and what we are exposed too, just like almost everyone else in the past. We have biased towards schools, and this leads to a bias towards states, and this leads to a biased towards countries. There are so many everyday examples that show how our lives have been affected by this advertising, but besides the speed at which we get the influx of information, this is not something new, that our parents and grandparents had to deal with. Newspapers were not merely placed in random locations, they were placed in spots where people would encounter them. Salesmen also did their best to follow trends and sell their trades in popular stores and gathering area. - Juan Hernandez
Response to question 3:
Data tracking and recording is a very controversial topic especially as society progresses with technology. I remember when people discovered that the NSA or whichever agency was supposedly spying on them through their phones, people were through the roof. I think to an extent, it's an invasion of privacy. Collecting data in some times can useful, but also creepy. So many times I can just remember I'm looking up stuff on the internet or internet shopping, and next thing I know I check instagram or facebook and there are ads for the things I was just looking up. I think in situations like that, it's defintely an invasion of privacy and data collection is taken too far. Companies do their best to market their goods to the public, but the fact that all the information is out there for people to just look and do something with is just creepy. As technology increases and data collection increases, there needs to be a system in place to protect people. The government doesn't need to be Big Brother and track everything that everyone is doing, although in some cases it is necessary to catch dangerous people. There are pros and cons to both, but the cons definitely outweigh the pros of all the data collection. -Aden O'Donoghue
Response to Question 5:
I think in a way, government and corporations are already manipulating us based on research studies. They are able to collect countless data on human and consumer behavior and they can use that data to easily target users and manipulate the data in their favor. Businesses can already use the data to advertise to a specific market. Companies like Facebook sell data to other companies like this, it is very likely some of these companies are using this data the wrong way, maybe in a way to control humans. I would definitely acknowledge it and I think everyone should especially since it is already going on. You may not be able to easily see what they are doing, but it is very likely there is something going on, on the larger scale. All that data can be used someway and can be easily accessible either by public access or by hacking. If this data gets into the wrong hands, it has the potential to be a disaster that could change thousands of lives. That being said, all this data collecting can be dangerous and I personally think it has too many disadvantages for it to be worth it. I would not act any different because ultimately, we cannot really stop the data mining going on. There is some software that helps you protect your information by automatically manipulates your data, so when it reaches corporations, the data is completely false and is no use to them.
Response to Question 4:
Envisioning a future like this is very easy to imagine - even in recent years ( I remember in 6th grade) Nike introduced the web application on its websites where it would let you change the colors and designs of a shoe that you liked to make it more personal and so that you would wear that product more. I can only imagine how with increasing technology how this could change more in the future. Recently, more and more has been created and marketed to appeal more to “individuals.” By doing this, creating an idea of your “self,” I believe that companies are instead creating and causing people to dress more similarly and act more similarly. One cool thing gets shared and all a sudden everyone is doing it, buying it, or eating it. Making things more individualized and specific for the customer will continue to be more prevalent. By doing this, there may be a line drawn on what is “cool.” Especially with the integration of fashion and technology I'm interested in seeing how people and companies try to differentiate themselves. Pros would include being able to buy and create products that you really like - hopefully it could be from the shape, fabric, material, and look as well as the colors and designs. There will be fluctuations with what is popular (in material) and what isn’t. A con is that it still will be determined and limited by the company. If they don’t offer the certain “look” that you want with the right material that you want the show to be made of, then you’re at a loss and need to find the next best thing. It could prohibit new ideas because people would be creating things for themselves without the company really doing much. It could also be harder for newer companies to enter the market because individuals will be wondering how they can differentiate their company when the other companies seem to be hitting all the big points - again it’s rewriting and trying to fix algorithms on what they believe consumers want. - Neha Shah
Response to Question 1 - I think that we as consumers are very ignorant to the privacies and information that we willingly (and sometimes unwillingly) give up. Every time you go shopping, you share intimate details about your consumption patterns with retailers. And many of those retailers are studying those details to figure out what you like, what you need, and what makes you come back. One example of this was Target, who recognized big spending and loyal customers were often soon to be parents. Target aggressively created big data platforms to recognize consumer’s spending habits and target soon to be parents before other retailers got to them first. To create these complex algorithms they hired a world renowned statistician Andrew Pole who recognized 25 products (like unscented lotions and vitamins – which pregnant woman often take) and based off these products would give each customer a pregnancy score. This data analytics platform was so eerily accurate that an angry Minneapolis man once demanded to speak to a manager at his neighborhood store because his high school aged daughter had been getting coupons for baby clothes and cribs and he felt like they were encouraging her to become pregnant. What he didn’t know was that his daughter was actually pregnant and hadn’t had a chance to tell her father yet. So to answer the question, I think that these algorithms are already being developed and deployed by virtually all major corporations around the world and they continue to gather more and more information from us, the consumers. I think that they not only have the opportunity to influence us but can also tell us things before we may even know ourselves. - Danny Colmenares
Response to Question 1:
Data mining is an online tool utilized by even billion dollar corporations with reprecussions that extend far beyond the internet into real world problems. It effects everything from what kind of political messages are suggested on your Facebook feed to where you spend your money, and unforunately, no one who is online is exempt from its influences. Every popular social media platform uses this to suggest content to its users based off of what links they click on, what sites they visit, and who they interact with. Twitter is obviously in the hot seat right now with the recent deletion of russian bot accounts that spread "faken news"; however, I think Facebook is an easier example to see how easy media influences us. It sometimes feels like the second I think about something, I see an add for it suggested on Facebook. Creepy as that feels, (hopefully) Facebook can't read my thoughts (yet), but they are able to do this with algorithims that track what sites I've visited recently, what I've googled, what posts I've read, liked, commented on, etc. and determine what my interests are and what different trends it should suggest to me. One reprecussion of this is that it can lead people to ONLY see content that is similar to their beliefs, with click-baity articles of "fake news" enticing even the best of us. Now, we're basically all in our own social media bubble catered to own our beliefs, filling our heads with maybe not-so-true propoganda that we then further propogate, all the while fueling division amongst us as everyone becomes more engrained in their own opinions. -Kaitlyn Michaud
Question 4: Nina Vernacchio
I do not think that this future would be a possibility for the majority of th epopulation due to the lowered efficiency of the labor, considering the products would all be custom-made. But, I do think that the option of custom-making products will arise based off of online data. This would also be a very expensive product to buy, but if enought people want it the way companies make these products may change. But, this type of future would make people happier, if the data used correctly represents the consumer.
Response to question 1: I think many people don’t truly understand the extent to which their everyday activities are being recorded and monitored. I also think many people don’t understand that we are not as rational as we like to think we are. Many people claim that the government can access your camera, microphone, gps location, photos, texts, etc. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. I also wouldn’t be surprised that large corporations would be collecting information too, to better learn how to sell you stuff, of course. You ask how much I think that force has influenced the decisions I have made in my life, but I honestly have no idea. And that’s the dangerous part, that it is impossible to tell to what degree our decisions are our own and to what degree they are influenced by our subconscious. Do I want a burrito because that’s what I actually want or is it because I saw a Qdoba ad this morning? Do I want to buy a product because I need it or because it popped up in my “recommended” section on Amazon? On a small scale this is pretty trivial, which is why we don’t think about it. However, being able to predict and control this type of behavior on a mass scale could lead to a huge consolidation of power, and I feel that the likelihood of that happening only grows as we become more integrated into the massive database that is the internet. - Chase
Response to #4:
There is no doubt that this kind of future would be possible years from now; a world that is data-oriented for an easier lifestyle. Some of the pros are that purchasing things in the future will be significantly easier. We won't have to chose anything. The process of buying a good will be even more simplified than it already is. Some of the cons are that this could lower the efficiency of the business side of technology. How much would it cost the company to create these individualized products rather than creating marketable things for consumer? I think that another con, quite noticeable, is the lack of privacy this kind of future will create. Will humans in the future be okay with all of our digital data history, personal information, online preferences, purchase history, and anything that could help currate the "perfect" product for all of us? But what if this "perfect" product isn't as perfect as it is, because the design preferences that go into purchasing goods may not be logged, because design preferences are things that can change. -Jina Ro
Response to question 1. Without a doubt I do believe that there are machines and people collecting data on all of us with every internet search. I post very rarely on social media and rarely purchase things online but it seems that every advertisement is always about something I’m currently interested in. For me personally, I do not let advertisement affect my opinion on the item or when to buy. I always shop around for the price best and have strong buyer’s remorse, a lot of times before I even purchase the item. Finally when in doubt I do without. However there is also advertisements for political agendas as well. These advertisements can come in the form fake news produced by bots or people and real news produced by bots or people. These advertisements can put information, whether real or fake, in front of you over and over to until it begins to truth in your mind. This can happen to anyone. Its human nature that if you’re told something enough times it must be true. Again, I believe I’m a little on the abnormal side and normally ignore most politic bullshit seen on the media. There are sources that don’t lie, such as reading the actual bill or legislation that is being argued. To bring to a close, someone or thing collecting your data for marketing purposes is scary however it’s not going to change but you can change. I do believe that in the next 50 years we will see a radical change in politics. One way it could go is a monoculture of thinking and pretty much the rich controls what’s going on but everyone is getting fed. The second possibility is the removal of political analysis and control. People will want data that are facts, primary sources of material. – Bailey Runnett
Response to question 1:
I think my life has been significantly affected by the data the internet collects about my habits, likes, etc. Coming from the athlete side of things I see adds for mainly the same top companies that I search and buy from daily. I notice this all over my social media as well as in my email chain. I get notifications about sales, discounts, and day of release date for equipment. These ads only made me look at their equipment more and more. I only have ever had one problem about the internet recording my every search. I feel the information the internet knows about me is way to personal and I wouldn’t want people to use that information against me. Companies like Nike for example are seen everywhere. You can’t walk around a public place without seeing that Nike Logo somewhere. I believe this trend of internet tracking will only continue to worsen. This is because since the start of the internet see how far it’s come. When I was born in 1997 the Internet was just starting to develop. No Pop-up ads or site redirections in the early days of the Internet. Now you can’t read articles, use websites, etc without looking at ads. I’m not going to bash on the internet because it’s our livelihood. Without it the world would be much different today. Today, you can want something and are able to buy it on the spot and have it deliver whenever you’d like. How awesome is that! We take a lot for granted in today’s world. The data will never stop collecting either. Technology has shown no signs of slowing down and I believe that technology will only become more and more a part of our lives each and every day, as long as the data never stops being collected.- Gerard
Response to Question 3:
I feel that theres a fine line between the internet attempting to make searches easier for the specified user and it recording too personal of information. For example, amazon saves your recently used addresses and credit card information. Although you only have access to this information if you log into your account. That extra step of security to obtain that information makes it an efficient use while maintaining privacy. On other online purchasing websites, you can type one letter and an autofill of options will pop up. I find this to be crossing the boundaries of privacy, making it extremely easy for an unauthorized user to use or find out your information by pressing one key. Anyone with access to your personal computer could easily use your information against you because of the automatic store of information. Despite that aspect, I have found it helpful that I receive suggestions on my searches based on what I have recently searched in the past. Whether it’s for online shopping or researching, it hasn’t crossed me as “too personal,” when a website has “suggested for you,” while I’m searching. Although I find it creepy at times of how well it knows me, I still wouldn’t classify it as an invasion of privacy. That is because the information they are suggesting isn’t an invasion of privacy. Suggesting a dress and suggesting a shipping address are too very different things. There has to be a balance of the intake of what information can be stored and what information needs to remain private with access only though secure measures.
-Emily Guzzetta