Embracing the Data Evolution
I grew up as the 20th century wound to a close, in the transition period between the analog age and the digital age. Television went from a 15-channel appointment-based model to cable, which is now an internet-based on-demand model with endless viewing possibilities. Terrestrial radio, which once ruled listening habits, has gone from network consolidation to internet listening options and satellite radio, now offering myriad on-demand options, bringing along with it online music streaming. Newspapers have moved from newsprint and microfiche (gather ‘round kids, and I’ll tell you about microfiche, which, before the internet took over, was the only way to look up a newspaper article from the past) to being readily available with historical content in online formats. All of these models are light-years ahead of how I had come to receive mass communication.
When I review my own relationship with media today, I move between the old methods and the new, always with an eye on content. I listen to radio on a traditional amplifier, though sometimes I’ll listen to it online. I am a print subscriber to the Los Angeles Times and a short list of print magazines, though I also visit the websites of those and other digital-only outlets. My viewing and social media habits are perhaps the most modern of all, watching films and television almost 100% on-demand, and scrolling regularly through social media platforms to feel the pulse of activity on various levels.
Historian Yuval Noah Harari deals with the evolution of mankind into modern times, and most recently posited the idea of Dataism in his book Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Dataism suggests that not only will we become the sum of all the data we provide, but that the effects of that data collection on mankind will be regarded as the next stage of human evolution. The Man versus Machine argument now means something new: Will the machine and man finally become one? The thought can be alarming, calling up notions of 20th century sci-fi flicks 1984, Blade Runner and THX 1138, each of which now seem profoundly prophetic. Kraftwerk’s “The Robots” plays as a soundtrack.
With the Dataist approach in mind, my habits give away only part of my story. My newspaper subscriptions and radio affiliations may give a general indicator of which team I’m on, but when I’m not online, they don’t reveal which pages I read, or which individual radio stories resonate with me. Data on my film, television and music intake is relatively easy to track. My social media interaction is where true data currency is created, with precision.
I’m conflicted about being so easily tracked in today’s data age. At times, it feels like someone is eerily creeping over my shoulder. I know it’s no coincidence that someone I happen to see at an event now shows up as a friend suggestion on Facebook. I also know why a children’s clothing company ad keeps appearing in my Twitter feed days after searching online for a cute outfit for my daughter. Except for those arduously living “off the grid,” between GPS and cross-data tracking, there are very few unrelated consumption points in life. Social media platforms are narrowing down my valuable data consumption habits with every scroll. It’s not surprising that 63% of today’s digital ad revenue in the United States is won by Google and Facebook (http://bit.ly/2jMHr5C).
Yet I also see the benefits of collecting my data. My news is tailored just for me, my online shopping choices have been fairly accurately customized and Facebook has become very good about making sure I don’t forget about that event I planned to attend (even if I did already have it in my calendar).
Although my consumption habits are on the “slower” end of the analysis spectrum, I can’t say for sure that I envision the day when humans are no longer comfortable making decisions, or that there will be a day that the powers-that-be fully take over my calendar with the latest underground music events and art shows. As someone who values the conveniences of life, I’ll take any bit of help I can get while giving away data in exchange. As someone on the lookout for innovation, I’ll keep an eye out, too, to see what the data presents, and I’ll even contribute to that data with every GPS tick and social media like. All the while, I’ll remember those sci-fi films, watching to see if all this data mining turns into true quality of life benefits for everyone, and not just for the few at the very top.
