MM52 - PG 13

Task

1. Summarize MM52, pg13 on a MEST3 blogpost, show your critical autonomy 
2. Are you bothered by people tracking your online movements? Is it a small price to pay for life online?

1)

Summarized by sections

Private Spaces, Converging Life Spheres

This section of the article discusses the questioning of Daniel Trottier who compares the digital space of social media to a dwelling that has increased [the] social proximity of different life spheres leading to social convergence. It discusses how we live our lives separated in different worlds but suited to the people we want to include in the individual worlds and possibly convey ourselves in different ways. For instance, the article talks about how we use more careful language around our parents compared to the ‘slang’ or less carefully selected language with our friends.  This section goes on to say how these life spheres that we live in can get mixed up and the real possibility of how easily somebody can access information about us.

The Cost of Data Mining

Talks about how private the information really is that we put out on social media, despite how much or how little we reveal. For example, some researchers found that from a record of one Facebook user’s subjects and items they had liked they were able to accurately identify the user’s race, IQ, sexuality, substance use, personality or political views that is known as data mining and is legal. It then goes on to talk about how we agree to companies using our personal information when we click the ‘accept Terms & Conditions’. However, we just assume that companies will act responsibly with the information they have in their possession.  In the fourth quarter of 2013 Facebook generated $2.61 average revenue per user (ARPU) which converts to £1.73: Our information is what social media platforms use to be profitable.

Government Surveillance

This third section talks about the huge revelations of Edward Snowdon and the American and British Government wanting to have total transparency of the internet. This is a arguement defended by saying that total transparency for the Government would be protecting ‘freedom’ against terrorists. However, many argue that this point is heavily flawed and means that we would lose the right to privacy among other things.   

2) As I have gathered a more developed understanding of the internet and social media sites, it does bother me that people are tracking my online movements. If my online movements are being tracked then somebody may as well be following me with a camera everyday. As a result, of my online movements being tracked I try my upmost best to ensure that my privacy settings are always set correctly and I do not reveal to much information about myself. However, as proven by the researcher in the MM52 article the quantity of information revealed does not really matter because a lot of things can still be found out about you. 

Despite it bothering me that my online movements are being tracked, I do think it is a small price to pay for the social media life, because with sites having the information they have they are supposedly making the experience better for us each and every time. The tracking of online movements also applies to us as individuals not just multi million pound conglomerates. For example, how do you think we know who the best people are to follow on Twitter? and if you are a small inderpendant business owner how do you think you are establishing if you are getting sufficient traffic to your website?