From: Rob Dobi
This, I feel, was a continuation of the presentation about google, only on a wider scale. However, Mr. Miller has brought more of a philosophical element into the discussion of the acquisition of a person's data. I like how he first talked about what a company is, they sell goods. He then shifted it to how many services like web browsers or social media are free, and everyone, including myself, knew exactly what he was talking about, but then he came back to the definition of a company and declared that the product was us. I agree, these companies treat us as objects and I do think it is messed up, however, if it is when the user is unaware of the actions, it is messed up, but if educated users, like me, know about it and willing participate then the company is technically not in the wrong. Every user is given the terms of service, and I feel as though, it is the user's responsibility. However, the company is not exempt from scrutiny because most make it very hard to comprehend or find in a wall of text. He then shifted to how companies influence us, and how they design apps, websites, and search results. He mentioned how they are influencing our lives through addiction and selective sharing. He expresses a want to remove all connectivity through the smart era, completely wanting to get rid of social media. However, I feel as though these digital mediums are crucial to our interactions as our world evolves and shifts. People now are busier and digital interaction can provide people with the socializing they need for their mental health. He also pulled the "dial-up" card and explained how people only relied on dial phones for communication. but as I mentioned previously, we live in a different world, it needs to evolve. Lastly, he emphasized, the need to treat tech as a tool to help, not to exploit people, but for people to use them, I agree, that companies are corrupt and try to find every little way to exploit people. Demonizing tech is not going to fix these problems, but approaching it from a neutral well-eductated view can better critique and improve its effect on our daily lives. Mr. Miller's talk helps delve into the mind of not only companies but their users and how they go about thought processes.
