Once, newspapers and local news stations kept us informed, highlighting the most important stories of the day. Now our phones and laptops do this work in a much different fashion. 24/7/365 news, stories, posts, products, retweets, etc. are chosen just for us and pushed to us on a continual basis. Unlike newspapers, which primarily provided static content that could be consumed at the reader’s discretion, algorithms have begun to provide personalized interaction. Based on how, where, when, and with whom one interacts, one’s feed is reflective of behavior.
This 24-hour log reflects my ‘day off’ from work. I didn’t realize the amount of personal information I have agreed to share over the years. Yikes!
10AM – My iPhone alarm wakes me and I check Instagram almost immediately. This could be used to track my sleep habits and what time I start interacting with social media as well as what type of content I gravitate towards as I start my day. My habits point towards personal health and fitness during the morning hours.
12PM – I listen to an old episode of “Unhinged with Chris Klemens” available on the Apple podcast app while on a walk. This data informs the application and potential third parties of what content I listen to. This could result in sponsored ads for this podcast or similar shows and/or content.
1:30PM – I rely heavily on my Apple Music application to keep me motivated throughout my workout. I regularly listen to the “heavy rotation mix” – a playlist that is made specifically for me based on what I have listened to in the past. This type of personalization, I enjoy. This data improves the algorithm and eliminates songs that I repeatedly skip.
3PM – I took a break from daily chores and started watching a YouTube video. The advertisement that played before the video asked me for my participation (see below). I skipped this.
5PM – I decided to watch a movie on Hulu. Before deciding on what title, I watched three previews. The amount of time I spent watching the previews, whether or not I selected that movie to watch and the correlation between titles was likely tracked. A “because you watched…” category will re-populate new titles for me.
7PM – I did a bit of homework and was asked about my cookie preferences before viewing the content (see below) on a particular website. I customized my preferences before continuing.
9:30PM – I set all five of my alarms, put my phone across the room, and went to bed. This lack of interaction with my phone is likely being recorded. Applications can learn how long they have to hold my attention during an average day or interaction.
One might assume that a personalized experience on all platforms is desired, but for me, that is not the case. Since learning about the tracking tactics of platforms, I have begun to reconsider my complicated relationship with the media. I don’t want my life to be directed by algorithms.
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