Something we’ve talked a little bit about in class is the potential effects of tracking someone’s data. I tend to think the most valuable data is the most personal, and to this extent I think that data about someone’s health and wellness is potentially extremely valuable. Especially now that healthcare is tied to the government I think this data has even more valuable. It almost makes sense for healthcare to be more expensive for those people who live a more risky, unhealthy lifestyle because it’s more likely that they will accrue expenses for health insurance companies. Unfortunately currently health insurance companies don’t have access to information about people’s lifestyles and if they do they do not have pro-rated costs based on lifestyles. If I could own data about people’s lifestyle, I would tap into their bank statements to see what kind of foods they were buying and I would look for fitness apps that track people’s activity. I would then definitely sell this information to insurance companies.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I do think companies are justified in how they are taking data in exchange for commodities because our economy is capitalist. I don’t think it’s fair to assume that anything is free or without cost. To some extent, our well-being and livelihood is dependent upon companies making money, and one way they do this is by collecting our data. There is a feature on my phone that allows me to see how my phone battery is being used. Almost everyday my Spotify app is at the top of the list of things sucking up my battery life. Data could be collected about the types of music I listen to and what times ofl day I’m listening to music. Therefore, concert venues and artists are probably getting the most of my electronic use. However, the problem with my data is that I have a very, very eclectic music taste, so it would be hard to market me albums or concert tickets for a specific artist because I listen to so much. However, I do think it’s valuable for people to know that I love music. This could open up the door for companies like Beats or Sony to advertise their sound equipment to me. Additionally I imagine that my hearing will probably be pretty bad in my older years. I think looking at the data from all the time I’ve spent listening to really loud music could definitely explain this, and tie back into my initial thoughts on health insurance being more expensive for individuals who live risky lifestyles. It could be companies could look at my music history and charge me more for hearing aids because I’ve abused my ear drums with loud music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Something we’ve talked a little bit about in class is the potential effects of tracking someone’s data. I tend to think the most valuable data is the most personal, and to this extent I think that data about someone’s health and wellness is potentially extremely valuable. Especially now that healthcare is tied to the government
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