The Internet : Is it worth it? a look into surveillance capitalism

What is surveillance capitalism?

Ever think, 'hey, my phone must be listening to me!' when you receive an ad representing something you were just talking about aloud? Well, the truth is, It is! and the monster behind the madness goes by the name of surveillance capitalism. According to Donell Halloway, a senior reseacher at Edith Cowan University and author for theconversation.com, "Surveillance capitalism describes a market driven process where the commodity for sale is your personal data, and the capture and production of this data relies on mass surveillance of the internet. This activity is often carried out by companies that provide us with free online services, such as search engines (Google) and social media platforms (Facebook/Meta)". (Holloway)

How does surveillance capitalism affect me?

Although it may not seem it, but most services provided by these companies marketed as a free service, are usually fronting for the data mine they operate as behind the scenes, with new sources increasing by the day. Halloway states in the same article mentioned prior, "Our expanding sensor-based society now includes wearables, smart home devices, drones, connected toys*, and automated travel. Sensors such as microphones, cameras, accelerometers, and temperature & motion sensors add to an ever expanding list of our activities (data) that can be collected and commodified."(Halloway)

How does surveillance capitalism affect my family?*

Although, in a perfect world, surveillance capitalism is avoidable for the individual, but how do these marketing strategies affect those with more than 1 dependent living under them? those supporting families, with children growing up in an age where tech is unavoidable, how will they adjust to the mass surveillance pushed by these 'big other' companies mentioned by Holloway, holding these incomprehensible amounts of data? Looking back at the guardian article, she states, "Connected toys are another rapidly growing market niche associated wit surveillance capitalism." which, in itself, may hold educational benefit, bringing children off the screen and into more physical, socially intuitive play. However, she states furthermore, "Major data breaches around these toys have occurred already, making childrens' data as another valuable commodity."(Halloway) Not to mention, these breaches will continue to occur given the exponential rise of surveillance capitalism strategies pushed by said 'big other'.

Conclusion

Brimming with an ever expanding list of pros and cons, surveillance capitalism is a subject we're still learning by the day. While some believe it could be used for good, most reside by the thought that 'The goal is to automate us' (Naughton). We can only hope for the best as our society plunges headfirst into this uncharted territory of marketing strategy. What do you think?

Sources

Holloway , Donell. “Explainer: What Is Surveillance Capitalism and How Does It Shape Our Economy?” The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2022, https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-surveillance-capitalism-and-how-does-it-shape-our-economy-119158.

Naughton, John. ‘The Goal Is to Automate Us': Welcome to the Age of Surveillance Capitalism.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Jan. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/20/shoshana-zuboff-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-google-facebook.