This New York Times article outlines how the store Target learns about (and tracks) your shopping habits, and uses this information to try to change them (encouraging you, naturally, to shop at Target more often).
The link I found to this article clearly indicated that I ought to find it all a bit creepy. And I wanted to. I wanted to believe that this showed how evil and manipulative corporations are. Instead, it’s all a bit fascinating.
It’s about statistics, trends, human behaviour and careful observation. Rather than thinking that Target is doing something awful, I just feel … fascinated.
I’m going to hell, aren’t I?
Photo by Theo Gosselin. Found at Illusion 360.
Webcomic is Sleep draw, by Anne.
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