Mixed Signals in the Digital World
Living in a digital world and being brought into one has changed the way we live permanently. Access to the internet is critical for our livelihoods, from the minute we wake up to the time we relax and rest, affecting the way we work, communicate and educate ourselves. We’ve never been more connected and our tomorrow depends on digitalisation.
How we interact with it is dependent on us. Therefore we must be conscious of issues surrounding data protection, the extent of freedom of speech as well as our moral obligations in the digital age.
History of the internet and how its use has changed
The internet, used for good or evil? The internet as we know today did not develop into what it is today instantaneously. Blend of ideas give us what we have; from the 1950s where its use was solely to provide communication streams from the US army to our now internet. Heavy reliance has changed the way we access information completely, allowing us to gain valuable knowledge from the touch of our fingertips. As a result, the average person now consumes 90 times more information compared to the average person in the 1940s. We are spending time shopping online, talking to our friends via different social media outlets, and remote work is on the rise. The retail industry is just one example of a field which has been impacted immensely, with brands such as ASOS buying previously valued high street stores just two years ago, further encouraging online operations.
Privacy concerns
As a consequence of the increase in our use of online shopping, our data and preferences are being stored. Using the example of ASOS again, their website features a category labelled ‘Your edit’, offering suggestions based on items we’ve previously bought and looked at. On top of this, we are often made to accept cookies to access websites, which work by storing details about us, including our preferences, browsing history and user information. Websites can then build a ‘personality’ on you, uniquely tailoring your experience. Seeing ads related to the few times we’ve viewed that bag online or the time we searched for flights to Paris is fundamentally due to this, either on the same site or different social medias. So convenient? Yes. But at what cost? Unknowingly exchanging our data to browse online can feel intrusive and raise concerns of privacy, especially as data breaches aren’t uncommon.
Internet merchants can gain revenue solely by selling our data for marketing purposes. Whilst we give it away for ‘free’, non-monetary costs are faced, with the concept of surveillance capitalism on the rise. An article suggests that the worth of consumers data is inherently linked to the valuation of a company, so when it comes to tech firms like YouTube which is currently worth 23.9 billion US dollars, it puts things into perspective. However, its not all bad. From a consumer perspective this is not only convenient but also functional. While websites collect data, it can be used to improve the functionality and efficiency of the website for us and customer service greatly improves with companies addressing their users concerns directly. Additionally, Google and Apple previously combined their efforts to create contact tracing for the COVID-19 pandemic. The collected data helped spot possible outbreaks by notifying people if they had been in contact with COVID positive individuals. Revolutionary creations show the benefits data collection can hold. Depending on perspective privacy is a concern, but does what we get in exchange outweigh the costs?
Freedom of speech not freedom of accountability
Social media has altered the way we view freedom of speech and what behaviour we deem acceptable. More often than not, our online personalities deviate from the ones we display in the real world, with physical separation and a certain degree of anonymity being primary reasons for this. A prominent problem following from this is ‘cancel culture’; where a public figure is shunned or boycotted after expressing views that groups categorise as offensive. Last year we saw this with Kanye West’s antisemitic comments, inevitably leading to the termination of his partnership with Adidas.
Freedom of speech does not equal freedom of repercussions. We must acknowledge that people can and most likely will respond to harmful comments online. It’s worth noting that systems such as ‘likes’ on social media allow outrage to be reinforced and supported. But also, online opinions seem to have greater weight, where marginalised groups can speak out to a larger audience and be heard, as exemplified through the #BLM movement.
Most individuals believe that social media platforms have the right to censor content. Especially given information spreads like wildfire through the internet, digital permanence and misinformation, all capable of being very harmful to our society. Sentiments of truth intertwined with lies, skewing our perception of reality. This ranges from Bill Gate’s and the microchip to climate change denials. Echo chambers can easily be formed without the question of validity.
Our moral responsibility
As our digital presence evolves, it’s our responsibility to hold the highest levels of good morals and ethics online. Our voices are more powerful than ever, with the potential to reach millions in minutes. With that being said positivity should be spread at that same rate. We need to be aware that our actions have impact. Think before we speak and move with intent. All the while considering the differing opinions, that likely wouldn’t have been met if it wasn’t for the internet.
To really benefit from the tons of information on the internet we must always seek multiple news sources and look at things from varying angles, keep in mind that “If the information comes from a single person, it is opinion-not fact”.
To conclude…
Our digital footprint means reminiscences of us are always left behind. I believe we must make sure the long-lasting impacts we leave are positive, as they are paramount to how we are perceived in our society. As the internet surpasses its capabilities, life is made easier, more convenient and we become interconnected. The digital world has provided more benefits than drawbacks but it is ultimately down to us to recognise the power we have in creating a better community.
Personal note
Learning completely online was a different experience to what we are now getting used to. Although almost everything is now accessed on a device, from navigating blackboard to simple searches throughout the day, this course has really highlighted the significance of internet connectivity and the issues we must be aware of. Now when technology consumes our lives, there’s no better time to develop our knowledge on technological advancements. Whilst being in the penultimate year of my economics degree, I wanted to gain insight on relevant topics outside of my usual scope of learning and combine the two by writing about implications of digitalising the banking sector.
Entering discussions with students from varying courses has made this experience very enjoyable, as they hold different perspectives from my own, and I could compare and gain knowledge from their beliefs as well as the module coordinators. At first, the thought of blog style writing made me feel apprehensive, as it’s a very different formatting style that is normally asked of us at university. After receiving feedback for the first assignment, finding the balance between an informal and formal tone, my confidence towards creating blog posts shifted and my enthusiasm towards writing grew. As a platform, Medium’s accessibility, specifically elements of interactivity intrigued me, boosting my learning experience. Seeing other people’s blog posts on topics I had not thought about gave me some inspiration.
An online module was a concern at first as it meant making sure to implement good time management skills and having a lot more freedom. However, this ended up working well for me as the weekly structure allowed for me to go at my own pace, take full responsibility for my own learning, forcing independence and reverting back to techniques attained during lockdown. Learning about intriguing topics such as the internet of things, smart cities and employability in a digital age meant that I could explore ideas that I knew little about. Realising how interconnected our devices are, how most things around us are controlled by digital mechanisms and how smart cities are able to combat some of the most pressing issues faced in society, allowed me to consider not only our current digital world but what’s also in store for the future.
Through this module I was able to strengthen a variety of skills, specifically confidence in writing for an unknown audience, as that is what the digital age is about. Additionally, I enjoyed learning about the detriments and benefits of an online presence. With the ever-growing use of tech, this may mean more emphasis on our digital presence and the footprint we leave behind, and now knowing this has made me more aware and acknowledge that it’s easy to be perceived differently online. I’m grateful to have been able to push myself out of my comfort zone by trying a different learning style at university. Most importantly from this course I have learned that it is dependent on us to learn what the future may hold and encourage each other to use online platforms for the greater good.
