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The man [woman] who is compelled to live every minute of his life among others a

The man [woman] who is compelled to live every minute of his life among others and whose every need, thought, desire, fancy or gratification

is subject to public scrutiny, has been deprived of his individuality and human dignity.
He [she] merges with the mass…. Such a being, although sentient, is fungible; he [she] is not an individual. – Edward J. BlousteinLinks to an external site.

Social media, in the form of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat has exploded in popularity over the last 10 years. Each of the “the big 4” social media market leaders have serious privacy related issues associated with their use by consumers, such as:

  • Facebook: Facial recognition, Third party apps, and Location tracking.
  • Instagram: Stories, Live videos, and Targeted ads.
  • Twitter: Unauthorized retweets, Data collection, and Default privacy settings.
  • Snapchat: Snap Map, Snaps do not truly delete and can be re-savable, and Snapchat Spectacles

A vast amount of personal and private data is collected by these companies and powerful data analytics tools are used to extract and categorize behavioral patterns for “productivity” and “business gain.” Data science is an exploding field where data is mined to better predict consumer buying patterns and market goods and services more effectively.

  1. Review this report from the Pew Research CenterLinks to an external site. that gives an up to date overview of the social media landscape: Social Media Fact SheetLinks to an external site.
  2. Watch the following videos:
    • The Future of Your Personal Data – Privacy vs MonetizationLinks to an external site.
    • Glenn Greenwald: Why privacy mattersLinks to an external site.
    • Data MiningLinks to an external site.
  3. Review and take notes on the concept of a “reasonable expectation to privacyLinks to an external site..”
  4. Begin by creating an initial discussion board post that addresses the following:
    • Section 1 – Subtitle: My Social Media Profile
    • Explain what social media platform(s) you use the most and why. Address such details as followed:
      • How often you login?
      • What information you share?
      • How many followers you have?
      • What constitutes the bulk of your activities?
    • Section 2 – Subtitle: Privacy Issues
    • Start by reviewing the “reasonable expectation to privacyLinks to an external site.” Wikipedia page.
      • After reviewing, comment on what you can expect when it comes to your own privacy on the social media site you listed above.
      • Address what comments, problems, concerns and/or questions you have about the social media you picked above.
    • Section 3 – Subtitle: Data Analytics
      • Write about data mining and data analytics being used to identify your behavioral patterns when you are using the social media pick above.
      • Many people are noticing ads being solicited to them on social media sites shortly after searching for an item on Google, listening to particular song and/or clicking on links. Address if you have experienced this and what was it exactly.
  5. Give your post a compelling title and submit your work.
    • Note: that to encourage independent and critical thinking, all discussion forums in this class are set to “Users must post before seeing replies.”
  6. Review your post before submitting.
    • Editing is allowed after submitting.
    • Your post should be formatted as shown below:

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