Blog post #2 - Neil Misra
Hello folks, for this week's blog post, id like to talk about the social construction of technology. In Canada and the USA, our data is surveilled and used for targeted advertisement. For example, the other day, I was talking to my friend about whiskey. I later received a whiskey ad on my phone on Instagram, which is owned by meta. This is clearly a reproduction of capitalism, meaning that our social forces shaped the way that our data is being used. In this context, for profit,
What if we were to change this into an eastern context, Specifically in china?
China is currently building a strong, surveilled state with social credit. This is called sesame credit. It can affect your ability to travel and get loans from banks. For example, if you misbehave on a train, you will not be able to purchase tickets for a while. This is because their teleology surrounds a state based on trust. I hypothesize that their social constructions of technology are focused on using it for control and safety. Therefore, online data collection can be used to further develop profiles of their citizens, but instead of marketing to them, they are policing them.
Hi Neil
ReplyDeleteGreat post with tons of information! I find it interesting that data is surveilled and used for targeted advertisement. I also find this all a great invasion if of privacy. I have had many incidents where I will be talking about a certain product, and then as soon as I go on phone, open up a social media app, that exact product will pop up within an ad. Although technology is advertised as safe and secure, the invasion of privacy that is happened is crazy. Although everyone knows about this, no one seems to be doing anything to change this such as turn off certain settings or change devices.
Hello Neil,
ReplyDeleteThis happens to me on a daily basis and it always freaks me out. It is crazy how your phone listens to you and applications can capitalize on this and target advertisements that suit the user. Like max said above, this is a direct invasion of privacy, but in some cases, it can benefit the user.I have found many different products through this targeted advertising technique that have made my life a lot easier. I think technology and social media have create this joined ideology of trading our privacy for convenience and since invasions of our privacy happens so much on social media platforms, we don't really notice them. Great post!
Hello Neil,
ReplyDeleteThis is some great content you've posted! I think the idea of government internet censorship is a huge invasion of privacy. Considering how much personal data we already provide our internet browsing should be free of surveillance. We live in a surveillance society so the idea of privacy is at this point unheard of. The internet knows exactly what i'm interested in through algorithms designed to target people who they can sell things to as you have already referred to the capitalist hungry society we participate in.
Dear Neil,
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience with a friend when we talked about how I was thinking about buying NBA 2k23. Afterward, every ad on my social application showed ads of the game and videos of other people who had already purchased the game. After watching the documentary series the social dilemma, I was made aware that our data is surveilled and used for targeted advertisement. I was uncomfortable knowing we were being surveilled for capital gain. But china's alternative method of surveillance, called sesame credit, would not be something that sits well with me. I believe that as human beings, it's normal for people to make mistakes and learn from them; the way China collects data to police them is an invasion of privacy, in my opinion, and as someone who values their freedom, I wouldn't be able to live under those conditions