For my Media Literacy class I’ve logged my media behavior to analyze my privacy.
11 a.m.: I start my day by checking Instagram and TikTok. I have multiple accounts, but my business Instagram is all about art and design and that’s what I’ve been using more lately. I mostly like or save posts from other artists—rarely comment. There are various small businesses with products that I find interesting, but also ads that clearly indicate Google is colluding with Meta, but not always effectively. I don’t need to see ASU ads. They already have my money.
12 p.m.: After my scroll, I switch to a Radiolab podcast about a man with anger issues who had a support parrot to help him with his anger issues. I’m also drawn to politics, true crime, business, and history. I usually just listen, but occasionally share links with friends. I realize now that this creates data about me and the person I share it with.
1 p.m.: Throughout the day, I keep popping onto Instagram. I share my own art and collect things that inspire me. On Pinterest, I save art and design ideas for my business. I think Pinterest is less aggressive about data collection than other companies but I’m not sure. Pinterest shows more generic ads, whereas Instagram will show ads in my Instagram feeds for brands my daughter is shopping for on her own phone in real time.
7:30 p.m.: I’m watching The Better Sister on Prime. After years without commercials, Amazon decided to add commercials to Prime shows, so it feels like regular TV and I hate it. Amazon also apparently made it so you can’t delete the recordings that it makes from the Alexa-enabled devices you own, which is very troubling, but at the same time, I’ve worked these devices into my routines now so it would be a huge hassle to get rid of them. Surely there must be something that allows you to verbally turn lights on without selling your digital soul?
I do engage with promoted content—ads for other designers or small businesses like mine. I sometimes click them for ideas or networking. The algorithms are obvious: they keep pushing similar topics and content back to me.
The truth is, I don’t fully know what data I’ve shared. I’ve adjusted some privacy settings, but haven’t gone deep into them. That worries me. It’s part of why I’ve nearly stopped sharing personal photos, especially of my daughter. Everyone shares family life online, but I’m not comfortable with how that data might be used.
I’ve been sharing content online since before MySpace. I remember when I started my first Diaryland diary. My family thought I was insane. I kind of was.
But nowadays, starting a blog is one of the least crazy things you can do online. So I’ve definitely overshared, but I’ve had many years to walk back on how much I share online, which these days, is very little. But of course what I’m referring to is what I share intentionally. What I’m sharing unintentionally is honestly quite terrifying. It feels like it’s impossible to be private online, and it’s impossible for the average person to know all there is to know about privacy. I think the government is going to have to get more involved in helping people with privacy and cybersecurity.
Feature image: Woman with a Parrot (c. 1872) by Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta. Original public domain image from The Clark Art Museum