By Sai Padma
There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software. — Edward Tufte.
What happens to the life when we become products…?? Our emotions and attention are traded by unknown corporations. A friend used to say some 15 years back, that if allowed the company advertisements will decide on which way, she has to place her TV in her bedroom. I laughed it off as far-fetched… not anymore…!
The way we interact on social media, our likes and dislikes, and our emotions are captured in algorithms and being sold to highest bidder may be…!!
We talk about ethics and values… unfortunately, we find everything online and vent everything online…!
It has clearly pictured about dilemmas, problems, ethical, moral or otherwise. Every country is facing the same dilemma. We can’t trust anyone anything anymore. Social media is giving change to create biggest dangerous fake people and companies and corporations ever…!
So…
What’s the solution? The solution again is WE…
…the collective will, the legal regulations, the border less strict punishments, the call for urgent action to put strong breaks of marketing the vulnerability
Particularly a small girl vying for digital attention and a tear spilled over one dislike despite some likes… haunted me…! I know teens who slapped their parents when the cell phone was snatched away… I know teens who committed suicides when their private moments were went viral… I know parents who desperately call their children for lunch and dinner via texts, WhatsApp calls, Facebook messengers etc…
The author is a lawyer, activist, life and disability coach, writer and film enthusiast
