I don’t want to give my life away to Mark Zuckerberg. Do you?

The author recounts a disturbing experience of being targeted with highly specific advertisements from Meta platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, shortly after a period of personal burnout. These ads, which addressed issues like not answering calls or staying in one's room, appeared without any related search history, leading to a feeling of violation and suspicion that the phone's camera was actively monitoring personal life.

This incident prompted a reflection on Meta's business model, led by Mark Zuckerberg, and its immense market capitalization. The author points out that despite offering free services, the company generates vast profits by treating its users as the product. This contrasts sharply with older advertising models, like those seen during television ad breaks, where personalization was impossible and everyone saw the same commercials.

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Not picking up calls from your loved ones, not answering texts, staying in your room all day isn’t normal, and it’s not healthy.

Today's digital landscape, however, allows for hyper-personalization. While this might seem beneficial, offering tailored content and products, the author argues it is deeply invasive. Every online action is tracked and measured, creating distinct, targeted "bubbles" for each user. This constant surveillance, even when seemingly harmless, fundamentally alters the user experience and raises profound questions about privacy and data commodification.

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If you are not paying for the product, you are the product.