Data Trail
In recent years, the most popular word is “big data,” which has been widely used in various industries. If statistical analysis of data is based on the vertical classification of existing data, then big data is based on processing existing massive data to make predictions and recommendations for data that have not yet been generated. Therefore, big data is often used to predict or recommend things that have not happened yet. For example, a weather forecast is one of the oldest and most well-known predictions. According to the forecast, people can decide what to wear the next day and whether to bring an umbrella.
Big data is also ubiquitous in the film and television industry. Based on the analysis of audience preferences, predict and design the plot that the audience likes, find the actors loved by the audience to play relevant roles, and even predict the box office.
Big data can even intervene in politics, the most famous of which is the 2018 Cambridge analytics and Facebook event. Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained the personal data of more than 87 million Facebook users (Ma, 2019). Moreover, they used these data to participate in and influence Donald Trump’s election activities.
It has to be said that it is terrible to be in an era of big data utilization.
However, can we escape big data, or are we really willing to escape big data?
In fact, all of us are like Amanda mentioned in a podcast called Digital breadcrumbs: the data trail we leave behind us. As long as we turn on our mobile phones, we have begun to leave traces of our digital bread crumbs.
Dr. Elisa Oreglia said:
Therefore, all our online activities are being observed and recorded.
However, we have to admit that big data has gradually become our intimate housekeeper or best “friend” when it comes to snooping and recording our privacy because Big data can judge our possible preferences and even needs based on our historical behaviour and recommend the best results to us.
In the end, I think everyone has their own answer.
Reference:
Digital Breadcrumbs: The data trail we leave behind us. Pod Academy. (2016). Retrieved March 21, 2022, from http://podacademy.org/podcasts/digital-breadcrumbs-our-data-trail/
Featured Image by wattpad via Pinterest
