Editorial: Personality text

In my lifetime (yes, it’s that time of the year again when a looming birthday sparks up intimations of mortality in my soul and I start assuming that, any time now, I’m going to keel over and embarrass everyone in the room by going, not so gently, into that good night.)

But I digress. So, yes, in my lifetime, I’ve met a lot of people whose constitution is made up of 61.8 per cent water, 38.2 per cent protein and bones, and zero per cent personality. I’ve brushed up against strangers at a party who were so dull that I ended up having a drink and a chat with their ties, as their owners looked on and nodded.

I know people who are constantly too comatose to recognise themselves in the mirror. Women who think that wearing a 1970s haircut is a statement, and men who prop up their personality with some fancy facial foliage. Former colleagues whose knees buckle under anything which resembles responsibility, or who apologise for existing the moment you counter their argument.

And yet, the internet assumes we all have a personality. First because it deems that everyone has something valuable to say. Secondly, because it’s trying to turn browsing into a tailor-made, subjective experience by matching content with personality.

And that’s dangerous. Both for people without a personality, who will start thinking they actually have one. And more so for those with a personality who will be increasingly targeted by marketing and adverts that pander to their tastes. So if you like cars, you’ll be constantly cross-haired with adverts for cars.

Let’s try Google ‘technology’. Now ask a friend to Google ‘technology’ from their computer. Now compare the search results – you have different ones, because Google offers a bespoke (rigged) search that tailors your search results according to over 50 data points, including your location and search history.

It’s not just Google that is making us unveil our personality for consumption purposes. With Facebook, you only see comments that Zuckerberg’s baby thinks are parallel to your thoughts, feelings, and personality. Axciom stores some 1,500 data points about everybody living in America – it even knows, for instance, whether someone has a dog or a cat, and what breed it is. And the reason why Axciom stores such data is not because it cares about your pet.

Even dictionary.com plants bits of spyware on your computer every time you look up a word – this information will then be used by other companies to tailor their offerings to you personally.

Of course, Google and Facebook will say that you are still in control, and that you can turn off the personalisation function any time you want. But I suspect that one day, you won’t be able to do that.

techeditor@timesofmalta.com