How Big Corporations and Your Data Points Affect Your Financial Decisions

By: Jahmal Forte 

More than half of the world's population today are internet users. The internet is something that we've acclimated into our daily lives, a necessity too many. But have you ever wondered about the traces you leave in the internet world? Have you ever wondered what happens to all your private information you input on any website? Just as in the real world, you will always have a distinguishing profile in the digital world. I bring this up because several big corporations utilize this intriguing fact as a way to buy your interest in certain products that may be linked to your profile characteristics. 

One good example that displays this intriguing discovery is the last presidential election that helped your very own president yes, “Donald Trump” win the hearts and people’s votes over other presidential candidates. How you may be wondering? Well, a documentary on Netflix, “The Great Hack” gives a very detailed and great explanation to how, not only him but billionaire, Mark Zuckerburg started using your profiles as sales products for big corporations to prey upon your own vulnerabilities without you even knowing. 

You see, these big corporations have digital baskets that you’ll never see. Within these baskets are categories of profiles in which you’ve agreed to take part in every time you hit the button “I agree” in the “terms and conditions” without actually reading what you’re agreeing to. This should not only put you on edge but make you aware that if you ever bought something because of a continuous ad online linking to your interest, you just became a victim of your own profile without you even knowing. 

It is essential to understand that what these big corporations are doing with your information is not only illegal but also bad propaganda. Utilizing your information at their whim is frightening; you’re practically giving them the ability to experiment with how they influence your emotions, instilling fear and influencing certain objectives. All the while, you are unaware of what's going on, on the other side of your screen. 

The key takeaway I simply want to give you is to become aware of what you not only agree to, but what your observations are online. You should start to understand the many meaningful ads that somehow make their way back to your screen as you surf the web from site to site. As you become more mindful, then you can have a fighting chance from being obviously brainwashed by society's standards and the profile they have labeled you under. 

Below are links to additional information to help learn about your online profile, aka “data points”: 
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/23/leaked-cambridge-analyticas-blueprint-for-trump -victory 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/08/02/brittany-kaisers-work-with-cambridge-analy tica-helped-elect-donald-trump-shes-hoping-world-will-forgive-her/ 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rZowADxhuI