The focus of this exploratory writing is one that I have discussed many times in previous classes, in addition to multiple casual conversations with friends and family. I have found the results of thoughts and opinions to be quite arrayed. To touch on one group, the younger generation, I especially find that people feel a variety of ways about this new age of surveillance capitalism. The idea of being constantly monitored is not an enjoyable one, there are admittedly perks that come with it. One quote from the reading that I found to be interesting says, “In our world, pleasure is not banned; it is encouraged and celebrated, albeit subsumed under the banner of consumption” (Tufekci, 5). Many people around the world are receiving constant benefits and pleasures from the surveillance of our social media and technology, such as personalized ads and links to shopping. While some people like this more than others, despite the fact that it can be invading, it is difficult for many people to admit that surveillance capitalism is all bad. And even if they do feel that way, it is near impossible to avoid in this day and age.
When it comes to the older generations, such as my parents and grandparents, I find this to be especially significant. My mom, who has had an Apple smartphone for decades now, still struggles to unlock her phone, find an app on her home screen, or even send texts in an intentional manner. In the documentary Shoshana Zuboff says, “our ignorance is their bliss” (12:30). The fact that my mom is on Facebook and Instagram is proof of this, because without her knowing Mark Zuckerberg is making money off of her every year. While I have talked with her about this concept numerous times, trying to describe technology to someone who refuses to put any interest outside the very basic level can be difficult and highly ineffective.
The video also provided a number of examples of surveillance capitalism that I previously had little to no clue about. The most shocking to me was about Pokémon Go, an app that came out around six years ago that I still remember clearly. When people started to use it, I was amazed, running around in the real world and seeing simulated objects around me. Not for a second had I considered the features of Google Earth, in which you could do just about the exact same thing minus the Pokémon characters. Googles decision to come out with this game using an alias, Niantic Labs, was clearly a marketing tactic to get consumers on board immediately, without question. I genuinely thought that the app had been created somewhere within the original Pokémon team, who knew? And further, the use of “lure modules” that Google could sell to shops, restaurants, and anywhere looking for human traffic, created a money stream that at the time must have felt infinite.
Although a number of other companies were mentioned for today’s discussion, the one that lingered with me the most was Google, mostly due to the wide array of activities within the company. For example, the Nest Thermostat, which should supposedly require 1000 privacy contracts to purchase just a single item in the household without having concerns of illegal data consumption (25:40). The video also talks about the Google phone, which they are practically trying to give away at this point, in order to promote consumer usage and potential data collection. I found this interesting given that my dad chooses to use only Google products, such as the android and Chromebook, because he is very against Apple products. Meanwhile, it seems that Google is just as sketchy of a company. I guess it is fair to say that in the end, all big tech companies are going to have something hiding up their sleeve.
Tufekci, Zeynep. Is The Internet Good or Bad? Yes. Matter. 12 February 2014.
Shoshana Zuboff on surveillance capitalism | VPRO Documentary.