Digital Culture: Shoshana Zuboff's Insights and Personal Experience

This essay analyzes digital culture through the lens of Shoshana Zuboff's work, focusing on the concept of surveillance capitalism and its effects on individuals and society. It explores how platforms like Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Instagram collect and utilize behavioral surplus, extracting data from user interactions to predict and influence behavior. The essay contrasts Zuboff's views with personal experiences, particularly in relation to social media, discussing concerns about privacy, data collection, and the potential for manipulation. It examines the promises and pitfalls of digital media, highlighting the threats posed by surveillance capitalism to the empowerment and democratization of information. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of the impact of digital culture on modern life.

Running Head: DIGITAL CULTURE BASED ON SHOSHANA ZUBOFF
Digital Culture Based on Shoshana Zuboff
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1DIGITAL CULTURE BASED ON SHOSHANA ZUBOFF
Introduction
As compared to certain functional aspect that are associated with the function of
behavioral surplus as per Shoshana Zuboff, it is completely extracted from the human
experience which is completely on a private basis where under this respective part nothing
is considered to be exempt. These types of operations were introduced with the system of
behavioral surplus which is completely drawn from the system of online browsing, online search
and several behavioral aspects that is associated with the function of social media. In this
current digital surrounding every connected and smart interface, device and other mode of
internet point is completely redefined as a particular node in massive supply network which
is dedicated to persistently inducing, hunting, tracking along with taking more and advanced
behavioral surplus. The kind of supply chains which introduced gives a new production means
which in the current times is declared to be known as the system of machine intelligence.
The key objective of the study is to understand and evaluate certain operational aspect
that is associated with the impact of digital technological aspects such as google, Facebook,
Netflix and Instagram in the daily usage (David 69). The core part of the study is to prepare a
brief analyzation of the respective study through several readings that are demonstrated by the
author in the book of Shoshana Zuboff “The Discovery of Behavioral surplus”.
Contrasting Shoshana Zuboff view with Personal Experience (Related to
Social media)
According to Zuboff, it is considered to be an understandable part that, several core
aspects that are associated with the system of factors related to the behavioral surplus is
considered to be accidently discovered. Google was planning to sell their ads, and the particular

2DIGITAL CULTURE BASED ON SHOSHANA ZUBOFF
greater search engine in which the ads were about to be sold was associated with the key interest
area of people. It was considered to be a great approach, free product where they did not create
any kind of dependency on form surveillance. But irrespective of the part, it is believed that we
basically have a huge load of data available. This respective part generally has large
possibilities and these possibilities voyaged to the social media platform Facebook at the
particular point of time when Sheryl Sandburg shifted form google to the large social media
platform Facebook. Compared to Facebook under all particular aspects made us to the side of
dropping our guard.
In the year 2002, people were completely shocked by the program introduce by the
government which was based on the system of information awareness and in this congress
defunded this part apart from the insistence of 9/11 (Shoshana et al 264). In the year 2004, the
social media platform Facebook was launched and within few years we completely became
convinced the system of confidentiality was over and there was no choice rather than stop getting
disturbed about it (Catherine 13). According to my perspective I believe that it is not
considered to be a core beneficial part, if social media platforms are allowed to track every
move that is related to their customers. There are also other possible techniques and model
which can be easily adopted by them. As a part of example, it can be stated that, they may be
capable of making us the one among the richest corporation through the system of market
capitalization but the core factor is that in this approach it is beneficial part for us to earn more
profit on all basis.
The other part related to the statements of Shoshana Zuboff is associated with
certain operational aspects that is related to the organization Apple, the company’s current
operational part which is related to the segment of redesigning themselves as a privacy

3DIGITAL CULTURE BASED ON SHOSHANA ZUBOFF
organization is considered to be an interesting part. I believe it is better to use passcodes
instead of face lock and fingerprints to open a phone. But on the other hand, if apple creates
the process of privacy a selling point and distinction, it can easily gain the notice of other people.
According to the statements demonstrated by Zuboff which is based on the system to
behavioral surplus she juts creates the respective case more compelling under all aspects,
though I believe if she qualities an efficacy and intentionality to these respective companies that
they actually don’t have. Placing and creating high bets on those products which are considered
to be the part of prediction and at the same particular point of time if this never works or operates
according to the demand and expectation of the customers, this may generally lead to other major
consequence in the future. I am actually much concerned with credit agencies, Palantir and state
actors who basically is not bothered about certain areas that are associated with consumer
attention and ad dollars.
Digital Culture and its effects (Social Media)
It can be stated that internet in the current times is controlled managed and operated by
surveillance capital which is completely on a private basis (Chris Hables 272). Under this
respective part the major promise made by the digital platform was based on the process of
amplifying the human voice, empowerment and democratization of info. These promised made
by internet was completely fulfilled from their side, but under this respective part they have
come across a particular cost on all basis. That made cost in the current times is considered to be
a part of threat to overpower the emancipatory potential associated with the future of digital
media.
As compared to several core part that is related to the function of surveillance capital,
they are completely aware about the behavior of individuals in social media, but their

4DIGITAL CULTURE BASED ON SHOSHANA ZUBOFF
functioning is known to be an unknowable part for us. They generally accumulate huge domains
related to advanced knowledge from us, but it is not beneficial to us. They completely forecast
our upcoming future for the benefit of others whereas it is not going to be a positive part for us
under all aspects.

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Reference
Gray, Chris Hables. "The threat of surveillance capitalism." Teknokultura 16.2 (2019): 265-276.
Greenleaf, Graham. "Elements of Zuboff’s surveillance capitalism." (2019).
Liu, Catherine. "The Enemy of Democracy." American Book Review 40.6 (2019): 9-10.
Lyon, David. "Surveillance capitalism, surveillance culture and data politics." Data Politics:
Worlds, Subjects, Rights. Abingdon: Routledge (2019): 64-77.
Rosamond, Emily. "The Future-Oracular: Prediction, Divination and the Politics of Certainty."
(2019): 141-158.
Whitcomb, Caroline G. "Review of Shoshana Zuboff (2019). The Age of Surveillance
Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power." Postdigital Science
and Education (2019): 1-5.
Zuboff, Shoshana, et al. "Surveillance Capitalism: An Interview with Shoshana
Zuboff." Surveillance & Society 17.1/2 (2019): 257-266.
Zuboff, Shoshana. "1 “We Make Them Dance”: Surveillance Capitalism, the Rise of
Instrumentarian Power, and the Threat to Human Rights." Human Rights in the Age of
Platforms (2019): 1.