Scary screens

All people have those moments in life where they feel as though they’re being watched. Whether it’s walking in a dark or scary place or even the sensation of being embarrassed and feeling like people are making fun of them, one place a person should feel safe is their home or around the people they trust, but is there still something watching? Technology surrounds most throughout their everyday life; everywhere one looks, there’s most likely some sort of device, from phones, computers, watches, and even appliances. Now it’s unlikely to go a full day without being around it. When scrolling through TikTok, sometimes it feels eerie to see topics one just talked about with family or friends pop up, even though it’s extremely different from what they usually watch. It’s as though the screen knows something it shouldn’t.

     Kian Stevens, senior, is on social media like many other teens. Watching Instagram reels and scrolling through TikTok is enjoyable for him. Whether it’s morning, evening, or night, it doesn’t matter; it’s just another daily activity that he enjoys. Many people’s FYP matches their personality, but it can be more than that. Stevens said, “It describes a lot of my interests and can match when I have a change in ideas, like when I stop interacting with some topic that I used to enjoy, it slowly disappears.” When people go through their phones, they sometimes notice that what they are seeing is different; is that truly just because they stopped liking the same videos, or is it because their devices know something? 

     Does the algorithm in phones truly change based on gender? Telula Rubalcava, freshman, sees a lot of videos that are more targeted towards girls, but also just thinks they describe her personality. She said, “I typically get girly things, usually about makeup, clothes, shopping, etc. Sometimes I get videos about God or relationships. However, late at night it usually [around] 10, my FYP changes to funny TikToks because I be laughing when I’m tired, which probably happens to a lot of people.” Sometimes people can feel like their phone is against them, putting up models and fake people who show their life for views, not to be realistic. Everyone sees these things, but many mostly see it on younger girls’ phones. This does not help with their self-esteem. In reality, it’s not healthy for young minds to be looking at fake lives that not many actually achieve. 

     It can feel really weird or uncomfortable for some people to see or talk about something, and then it pops up on their technology, but people don’t always stop and really think about it. They move on and keep doomscrolling, then remember it later on when it comes up again. Rubalcava said, “Sometimes I see a video and I think, ‘how did that personally describe me,’ but as I said, I think it has more to it than someone listening in.”No one should ever feel like their phone is listening to the point where they feel uncomfortable talking in front of it. People’s devices just use the data that is put into them to base the information on it. But is it really?

How does one really know? They could be listening in anytime, so watch what is said; one never knows who’s there listening in.