THE INFORMATION AGE
I live with a conspiracy
theorist. Well, he’d say he isn’t, but if there is another way to look at
something with a very discerning eye, he'll pull up a chair and take a long, probing look. He’s a computer expert, reads voraciously (not
fiction; apparently fiction is only for ‘literature types’ like me) and NEVER
takes things on face value. Over our marriage, this quality – and my reaction
to it - has fluctuated between intense amusement and utter tedious frustration
(as for me, hearing about the state of our world, government, and planetary doom is not something I can do 24-7). Not because I don’t share his opinions, as politically and socially,
we often fall on the same side of the fence; but the older I get,
the more the sand box of ignorance looks like a much more peaceful place to bury my head.
But of late, to his delight,
I’m starting to give pause to a few of the things he goes on (and on) about. Let’s leave it
at a few, as I don’t want to create a total monster at home. The biggest issue
at the moment is information; how easily we give it up, and how valuable a
commodity it is for those who are in a position of authority. Think about it,
these days one freely gives up an absurd amount of information on social media: photos
of your children (which Facebook now own btw), your birthday, your anniversary (posted with a cute holiday
snap of you and yours), your likes, dislikes, political position, what school
your child/children go to (if you’re posting photos of kids in their uniform,
it’s an easy spot), who your siblings are, what your home looks like (again,
photos, photos people!)… the list goes on and on. And it’s something most
people don’t think about, until they do…
And then the penny drops... holy hell, what exactly am I doing and why am I sharing all this information?
Luckily, my Facebook
footprint basically shows that I’m a politically charged firecracker that rants
about gun control and the Orange Blowhole (POTUS) with an occasional fluffy
bunny photo to keep things balanced. I don’t do family photos, recipes or
anniversary shout outs as a) my husband would kill me, an b) we can never
decide when our anniversary actually is. Then again, I do blog and a forensic auditor could have an information field day by simply going back over my blogs and shaping my entire existence.
But of course the information
purge doesn’t stop there. Depending on where you live, more information is
given up by how you use transport (most subways/metros/buses track your entire route
from start to end), the credit cards you use, your energy meters, your phone
and internet usage, and even where you go in a given day (London is one of the
most surveilled cities in the world, there are cameras, EVERYWHERE).
Hello, little rat in the maze. Are you getting… concerned yet?
Don’t even get me started on
“Alexa.” Hi Alexa, are you listening? Are you gathering every single thing I’m
saying? The music I like, the things I’m purchasing, the ads you’re lining up
to fire my way?” As you can imagine, my husband has banned all “listening”
devices from our home, so Alexa, you're about as welcome as a bacterial infection.
And now, the information age
has taken one step further, with “advancements” (my husband would say these
“advancements" sound super exciting (yay!) and then lull you into a sense of “I must have” stupidity. And once again, you’ll offer up pretty much anything to get
the latest gadget at the cost of your privacy. Take the new iPhone with facial
recognition. Seems pretty cool, doesn’t it? But my other half would hastily
point out that you’re willingly giving up (to Apple) your fingerprint and face
imprint to use at their whim or sell onto the government further down the line. You say the word DNA database
to my husband and he literally shudders.
And of course the latest
press release by Amazon was the cherry on top of the information sundae… not
only do they know what I order, when I order and recommend things I will simply
LOVE, like they’re eavesdropping on me in my own sodding flat, but now they
have a service where they put an "Amazon lock" on your door - enabling their delivery drivers to ENTER YOUR HOUSE - and drop off your deliveries/groceries
inside your home when you’re not there. Digest that will you, STRANGERS, in your house, putting stuff away (I'm sure with their shoes on... oh shudder the thought!) who can control entry to your home.
WHO on earth thought this was a good
idea?!! (UM, AMAZON that’s who). Or shall I say, what moron would let someone
into their home willingly when they’re not there? I’ll tell you who, the masses
that give up every sodding detail about their life on FB.
Holy George Orwell, the
powers that be know exactly what they’re doing and moreover, that we the
lemmings are willing to go along with whatever suggestions they offer to make
life “easier” and more efficient. Yeah, and at what price exactly?
Welcome to the information
age people.