F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” But there’s one contradiction I’ve never been able to wrap my head around:
I’m aware that I am under perpetual surveillance by companies that buy and sell my data, which I think is very bad.
I can’t, for the life of me, be bothered to do anything to protect my privacy. I accept every cookie, give my location setting to any app that asks, and would likely give away my social security number if it guaranteed me a modest discount on a new shirt.
Holding these two truths in mind is certainly not a sign of intelligence—more likely it’s stupidity or perhaps laziness. But I know I’m not the only one. We regularly trade our privacy for convenience without blinking an eye.
This week’s piece is about why. It’s by the famed cultural critic Jia Tolentino, who spent 5 months trying to hide the fact that she was pregnant from the internet before she gave up. Even something as intimate as pregnancy is difficult to keep to ourselves in the age of surveillance capitalism.
Here’s the piece: The Hidden Pregnancy Experiment
Warmly,
Simo
P.S. The song of the week is a Latin-inspired dance track by my friend Val. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since it came out. The full songs of the week playlist is here.