Social media，data and society

IMPACT OF DATA ON HOW WE UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND US By [Name] Class Name Professor University State and City Date “What is the most significant impact of data on how we understand the world around us?” Introduction Data has become a more powerful tool that explains complexities and understanding of society. This period coincides with a constant growth in digital technology and an incredible increase in information collection. Data is vital as it is employed in different life aspects, such as measuring social interaction or making economic policies. It is essential in life, shaping values, practices, and even society organization (Doria, 2013, p.3). This essay explores essential issues such as reality quantification, relations between people, social stratification and inequality, and the effects of data on emotions while highlighting the impact of data on the comprehensiveness of the world. The aim is to understand the impact of data in shaping the world and a basis for making decisions in different life aspects.  The Quantification of Reality Digital technologies allow more information to be collected and used. It leads to the constant phenomenon of quantifying reality. In their 2007 article "Rankings and reactivity: How public measures recreate social worlds," Espeland and Sauder (p.2) expound upon the notion that the popularity of public perceptions and rankings shapes social reality. It is achieved by converting various aspects of life into measurable parameters and creating a comparison platform. These metrics are beyond traditional borders and cover many ​​areas, such as education, health, and governance. The nature of experts' legitimation comes under numerical representations that further galvanize the power of numerical knowledge and expertise (Doria, 2013). Numerical knowledge is critical in understanding different aspects of the world, such as the finance market. In turn, it supports making informed decisions on other fronts.  Moreover, measuring reality leads to a change in social behavior and norms. Beer's (2016, p.7) exploration of metric power demonstrates how metrics and indicators used in different areas to influence individual and group activities. In education, using metrics for standardized testing influences pedagogical practices and educational policies, which impact students' and teachers' experiences. Likewise, in economics, policymakers' decisions depend mainly on GDP, which, in turn, emphasizes economic growth as a measure of society's progress (Adkins & Lury, 2011, p.5). In case data shows the effectiveness of a product, item, facility, or other thing, people in society tend to believe that it has high quality, meaning they will likely align with it. The numbers influence the decision-making and consumption of different items in society.  On the other hand, reality quantification has its flaws. The work on data revolution analysis done by Kitchin (2014, p.5) brought to light the complexities present in data-driven processes. The complexity involves issues such as data quality, privacy, and bias. The use of narrow-minded quantifiable metrics leads to missing the subtleties and complexities of life experiences. Therefore, the end needs to be more complex and accurate data interpretations. Moreover, the privilege of acquiring quantified knowledge can lead to eradicating other ways of knowing and understanding the world, the repetition of which will create epistemic inequalities (Lupton, 2014, p.9). Since marketers know that people rely on data to quantify things and value, they can take advantage of the situation and share fake data. The aim is to convince customers of the quality they are selling, yet it could be more reliable. Therefore, effective data quantification is influenced by how the data is collected and analyzed to develop reliable and factual decisions.  One of the most noticeable features of modern society is representing the current reality through data. It further influences people's mindsets, behavior, and decision-making processes. Data quantifying is critical as it provides the basis for information. In that way, people can compare different items before making a decision. For instance, in terms of investments, financial data can show the performance of other firms, thus providing a basis for reliable information (Doria, 2013, p.99). As helpful as data-driven quantification is for simple measurement, its consequences go far beyond. These repercussions include power relations, social norms, and world views. To overcome the complexity of reality and minimize potential damages, it is critical to engage in a critical analysis of the quantification of reality. It will allow data to be a tool for recognizing and tackling social problems, not furthering existing inequalities and injustices. Power Dynamics and Control The relationship between data utilization and power structure and control in modern societies goes beyond the manner of information acquisition and propagation. It determines who has the authority and the uno-monopolistic control over this information. The theory of "metric power" Beer (2016, p.7) advanced illuminates and provides practical methods on how data can be used to exert influence and control in diverse environments. In a capitalist society, data is how the strength or stability of power relationships takes place. Data's role in determining the narratives and structures present in communities is highly dictated by those with access to and control over data (Beer, 2018, p.6). However, this accumulation of power through data exceeds the scope of individual actors and shapes the entire structure based on the distribution of resources, opportunities, and outcomes. It means people with less authority and power have no access to data, and the outcome is exacerbating social injustices and inequality. The lack of balancing of data distribution means that power is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals and institutions. This worsens the already existing unequal situation in society. Datafication approaches typically affect marginalized communities disproportionately. Kitchin (2014, p.11) argued that such data commercialization under the capitalist framework worsens the digital and economic divide. The reason is that information is being used as a tool and misused for financial advantage. Since data is used to make informed decisions, the disadvantaged must purchase data. Commercialization benefits those ...