Psych Blog 9

We have all heard that nothing is ever really free. In class this week we looked at how services such as Google and Facebook make money when they charge nothing for their usage. It is through advertisement companies that these online businesses generate their revenue. I was always under the impression that we, the people, were the consumers of these free online website. However, we are the product that these sites are selling to ad companies. The purpose of these free sites is to get as many users as possible that way the ad companies will pay more to have the rights to put their products in front of our eyes. 

In the past several decades it seems that people are becoming more wary about people gaining access to their information through the internet. Some of this worry is understandable due to deleterious acts of hackers stealing personal information such as credit cards, social security numbers, passwords, and bank accounts. However, much of the concern is over hyped and unneeded. When people discovered that social media sites and search engines were tracking their search and purchase history, many of them were outraged. They felt as though their privacy had been stripped from them and these acts were borderline criminal. 

However, I think it is a fair trade off. My search history and what I purchase is not a big concern to me because there is nothing really mischievous that can come from someone gaining access to this. They only use this information to get a better understanding of what my interests are that way they can better advertise products to me. In many ways this can be a good thing, because I might see something that I really want, that I may have otherwise never discovered. I would way rather be tempted into buying something that I want through an ad then being forced to pay for social media and search engine websites. 

Besides, if it really bothers people that much then they can stop using these "free" services. 

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