I’ve long worried about the destruction wrought by big data ever since I started hearing about people having their identities stolen. These concerns continue and have greatly expanded today.
I’ve abandoned “social media” in all forms for about three years now. I don’t miss it. The closest I get now is by watching videos on YouTube; I know you’re still watching me with those Google eyes.
I’ve slowly taken more steps over the years to place barriers between me and mega corporations, data brokers, etc., such as using non-standard operating systems and browsers with additional software designed to block scripts, cookies and trackers from even attempting to run. I even have one specifically targeted toward Facebook. This combined with Virtual Private Networks and random passwords not tied to a browser, I’m safer than most but far from shielded. Therefore, I’m even considering a personal email and calendar server, maybe in a different country, to further my steps away.
Meanwhile, the services I choose to use are fronts for corporations who want to know all they can about me and find into which demographics I fit so they know what to sell me and who they can sell my data to. That’s the stark reality. Because if they know how you tick, they know which levers to nudge and get you to tick how they want you to tick to make you more likely to spend your money or think about what they want you to think about.
It’s always about money because we put so much value into it and not just monetary value. We tie money to prestige, power, success, fame and, worst of all, self worth. I remain a victim of this false view, but I try to fight it.
Recently, I watched a comedy routine by Kevin Hart about how his kids complain when they have to wait in line at amusement parks or fly commercially. Just take a moment and let that sink in.
Now most of us cannot relate to such jokes because we don’t have easy access to private jets or personal amusement park concierge services. So people like that are so far removed from the average citizen that they are completely oblivious to how pompous and privileged they sound because their world is so drastically different. Without even trying, they can spend during one meal what many strive and fail to make in a month. And such privileged people believe they are worth it, that their life is more valuable than any 90 families from the “poor” class.
Corporations can’t get much money from “poor” people because corporation refuse to pay “poor” people a living wage. But they fight for every spare dime. After that, all that is left is to squeeze the last thing “poor” people have: Privacy. So they collect all they can and sell it to one another, like a self-licking ice cream cone. And in some kind of twisted rich logic, they are able to make more money by doing so. Like Wall Street making money out of nothing because they like one company over another or bet that another company will fail.
That world is so far removed it might as well be on a different dimension blindly pulling strings that affects our dimension that they think they see but don’t because, in reality, they can’t imagine what it is like so they don’t care as long as the balance sheet numbers keep increasing, even by making money out of thin air.
It’ll have to come to a head eventually. It’ll bust like some kind of “big data” bubble where there’s too much data to be efficiently usable, or it’ll crack under a new decentralized Internet created by people who’ve had enough or government protections such as those in Norway or Switzerland. I ain’t holding my breath on that last one; our politicians and judges get money, gold, vacations, homes, cars and everything else handed to them as long as they do exactly what the rich want. And we put oh such value on money.
But what does it matter? Big data lets the rich know how to nudge each person into believing very specific curated stories so that no-one cares. Don’t believe me? Consider that on one side are die hard supporters who will vote for someone regardless of their sins, crimes or dictatorship desires; they willing believe oppression is desirable. Then on the other side, you have people who refuse to vote, even if the ballot is mailed to them, because they truly believe their vote doesn’t count and voting just empowers “the man”. Both sides have swallowed, hook, line and sinker, the narrative picked specifically for them because big data lets those in power know who will believe what narrative. Working together, these two groups keep the rich in power as long as they keep believing the stories fed to them.
Everyone, on all sides, are being played, and they feel justified because they believe they came to their personal stance completely on their own. That’s the true disastrous beauty of big data: The victims don’t know they’re victims.
When those in power want to sacrifice a pawn within the game that pawn moves. It has no choice. However, each one can decide to walk off the board and not be part of the game. I’m for the latter where I can think critically for myself.