Sunday night I sat down at my computer with a glass of wine, ready to book a flight to Atlanta (Bonnaroooooo!) when my attention was diverted by an invitation to Good Reads. Plain and simple, Good Reads is a social network created around books. You rate every book you ever read, make friends, see how they rated books, and write reviews. Being the book (and organizational) junkie that I am, I was all about it. This site fit perfectly into my ultimate cultural data tracking fantasy (oh yes, nothing is hotter than a data-based fantasy--ohhh pun!).
In my dream world there will be one MEGA social network where everything we experience: books, tv, movies, the internets, concerts, etc. will be rated and classified and recorded in our profiles. Which can then be compared to the other members of the network, what is everyone else doing, watching, consuming? It's a marketer's wet dream. Which makes me think my fantasy might actually be a little evil. The reasons it appeals to me are because A) we have too many unrelated social networks as is B) I want to keep track of everything I've ever experienced. Every movie, every book, everything that doesn't have room in my long term memory, I could now dump into the collective unconscious of the internet. I don't have to rely on my brain to remember how I felt about my first concert (Alanis Morrisette), it would be right there for me in breathless 12-year-old detail.
So what's the downside? The elimination of privacy. Our thoughts, feelings, preferences could be used to manipulate us into consuming. Or even more frightening (although perhaps far-fetched), the heightened awareness of other people's preferences manipulates our own preferences. The most popular things are popular for a reason, right? There would be no more free will. The dinosaurs would die. What am I forgetting?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Oh, and sign up on Good Reads and be my friend!
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3 comments:
Privacy, schmivacy, that's what I think. Such a sad myth of isolationism that we hold to. Humanity is meant to be shared not hidden. Connection is natural, disconnection unnatural. The only reason we put privacy and safety together is too many eons of lies and duplicities.
The notion of privacy is changing. What we feel we need to keep private isn't what it used to be. More and more, people (young people) are placing sharing and collective growth over this idea of the personal, the forbidden. The race benefits from truth.
I hope.
Or even more frightening (although perhaps far-fetched), the heightened awareness of other people's preferences manipulates our own preferences.
That's not far fetched at all. There are so many things popular for no good reason besides that ... they're popular.
Harry Potter comes to mind. And the bible.
Yeah, you're definitely right. The NY Times article I linked to does a great job of articulating how people's tastes are persuaded by perceived popularity. When I said 'far-fetched' I was thinking (though not clearly articulated) of a more complete mind control where preferences and tastes are entirely dictated by social groups. Though the more I think about it, the more I think that's exactly what's going on--in a more splintered fashion.
While I find it hard to believe that there will be a day when EVERYONE in the world loves the same band (except when Bill & Ted start up Wyld Stallyns), we definitely live in a world where our tastes and preferences are dictated by the social group we ascribe to. Which is how all the anti-mainstream kids end up listening to the same music.
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