As we look through and reflect on our reality in the 21st century, we see how surveillance and data collection rule the world. It is nearly impossible to ignore how Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon parallels perfectly with our society. Sadly, we live in a time where technology contributes not only to our freedom but also weighs us down. We can see how technology surrounding us causes us to lose our privacy. What am I willing to surrender, and what rewards do I want in return?
We all blindingly scroll through the web, have personalized content, and new connections, we disregard what happens underneath the glass screens. Cookies is a powerful web tool used to create personalized ads, so it tracks all your website history and begins to cater the web to the user’s preference. Parents slam technology in their kids’ faces so much that some have improper social skills; all for the convenience of having cheap entertainment for their offspring. I value my privacy more than the convenience that comes with a device. Like the rest of the world, I will continue to lose privacy for my mobile devices and laptops, but I attempt to minimize my time on these devices. These devices contribute 100% to my career and lifestyle.
If it were up to me, my reward for companies feeding my information to others for profit would be some percent of income from whoever is the beneficiary. I would also appreciate it if I had free access to whatever good these services may have. I am not a fan of my information getting exposed, but I know it is almost impossible for a person to avoid it. I hope we gain more freedom and privacy as the world advances, so we can fully enjoy the life we are meant to enjoy.