Data- Bella Kjellen

Data is the accumulation of statistics collected together for reference or analysis. As our personal and public information is gathered over time, we become part of data. Melissa Gregg and Dawn Nafus state that “data are collected to produce actionable insights-knowledge that prompts a response, even if that response is further reflection”. With technology being so prevalent in our society today, many of our actions are turned into data of some form or another- some of this data we are aware of and some we are not. Search engines and websites constantly take in data from its user, all the way from the words they search, items they favorite, to the number of minutes spent on each page. This is data which we are unaware of. Then, comes data which is sought out. Instagram has given its users the ability to create “creator” profiles that allow them to gather insights. This data released allows its user to discovers every move made by viewers in response to each post they produce. Gregg and Nafus additionally note that “data offers the capacity to tell stories about activities”. When it comes to social media, this is a dangerous notion. The ability to have a record of every reaction of one’s shared media may create a false narrative for the publisher which can lead to self-judgment. Overall, data produces useful insights which can lead to benefit and help us recognize the need for change, as long as one avoids obsessing over these numbers.