The rate of personal technology growth is absolutely out of control, and we certainly live in a very interesting time. It's great to see all these new techno-gadgets, and all the different ways they simplify our life. Our smart phones are now smarter than we are, they know where we are at all times, and they know what we wish to buy something before we've even thought about it.
Are they reading our minds? No, the reality is that humans are somewhat predictable based on past behavior. Something that psychologists have known for a long time, and soon your artificial intelligent personal tech device will know almost inherently.
Not long ago, there was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on July 12, 2012 by Emily Glazer titled; "The Eyes Have It: Marketers Now Track Shoppers Retinas." Just when you thought it was safe to go out, the Minority Report with Tom Cruise, that popular Hollywood movie is now upon us. Do you remember when Tom Cruise was walking around a shopping mall, and every time he looked at an advertisement, it changed for his particular preferences? That is interesting isn't it?
Perhaps in the future when you are in a crowded shopping mall with people all around you, those advertisements and marketing screens will change for you, rather than someone else, because you are a more frequent shopper with an unlimited balance on your American Express card, whereas someone next to you who is shopping with only a few dollars in their pocket, and food stamps won't get a second look from the artificial intelligent mini-billboard.
So what is a person to do, as our privacy is being invaded every time we go out in public? Should we hide in our homes, and never go out? Should we never use the Internet, never buy a smart phone, and never use electronic money? Indeed, we wouldn't be able to send an e-mail, visit a website, or even turn on our cable TV. Why, because you will be tracked every time you do anything, and you can never escape this futuristic world which is coming at us so fast, people aren't ready for it yet.
If you are bothered by your local grocery store tracking your eyeballs as you walk down the aisle to see which products you look at based on their color, price, and the type of item, then perhaps you can wear dark-colored sunglasses so that they can't get a good look at where you are looking. Of course, you're still going to give yourself away if you use one of those rewards cards at your local grocery store.
In other words, you may as well face it, they already know more about you, than you may know about yourself. Yes, it's an interesting world, an interesting future which is coming for you, whether you are ready or not. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Personal Internet Privacy. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
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