Medical Surveillance and Scrutiny Intersecting for Privacy Concerns Pose Potential Issues
In a world where technology is increasingly intertwined with our daily lives, one author voices their concerns about the growing trend of digital interventions in personal health and well-being. The author, expressing a desire not to pay for any of these interventions, seeks to avoid being trapped on the "island" - a metaphor for the economic order that treats experience as raw material to be measured.
The author's ultimate goal is to break free from this island, and they propose an unconventional solution: paying developers not to sell our data. This, they argue, is the only way off the island, as our personal information is the currency that fuels these digital interventions.
However, the author's concern is not merely about the economic aspect. They fear that these interventions will further the cause of medicalization, reducing the body to an object of medical analysis - a concept known as the "medical gaze." The author uses the story of Odysseus and Calypso as a metaphor, likening our growing discontent with this economic order to Odysseus' longing to return home.
Direct-to-consumer marketing of pharmaceutical companies serves as a prime example of medicalization. The author argues that combining this economic order with medicalization will result in an acute alienation from a true sense of well-being.
The author's skepticism extends to the question of accountability and transparency. They express doubts about these measures being in place for Big Tech agents developing these data-mining technologies. Algorithms, used for making recommendations or predictions, are a significant part of these interventions.
In the future, mental health treatment options may use technology to monitor mood changes, stress levels, anxiety symptoms, cognitive impairment, and sleep quality through various devices. These devices, intended to be permanent fixtures in life such as smartphones and smartwatches, are compared to the clumsy EKG monitor worn for a short period to help a cardiologist understand a patient's heart rate.
Yet, the author raises concerns about the invasive nature of these devices, likening them to a GPS tracker on a smartphone. Future companies interested in buying health app data for profit could include not only digital health market players like fitness tracker manufacturers and digital health service providers, but also large social media and tech corporations like Meta, as they integrate AI with user data to enhance platform engagement.
The author longs for analytic tools that provide recommendations based on snore recordings, akin to what an algorithm could provide. They also discuss the "terms and conditions" boxes on devices, arguing that we endorse being digitally stalked by tech companies by ticking these boxes.
The author concludes by emphasizing the necessity of appropriate measures of accountability, protection of user data, transparency, and informed consent for these interventions. In a world where technology is rapidly shaping our lives, it is crucial to navigate these digital waters with caution and a clear understanding of the implications.
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