Site Title

William Rotger

Morning

7:15 a.m.
I look at my phone right after I wake up. I spend about 15 minutes a day on X (Twitter) and Instagram. I’m telling you about what I do online right now, like how long I look at certain posts, what I like, and who I talk to. I read a post about rumors of trades in the NBA, and then I stopped to watch some workout videos. This shows that I enjoy sports and staying in shape. I know that Meta owns Instagram, so they could use what I tell them about how I use it to make ads on Facebook and other sites more useful. I’ve looked at some privacy settings before, but I now know that I haven’t looked at how much of this information is shared with advertisers who aren’t on the site.

7:45 a.m.
I listen to Spotify while I get ready. I listen to a “Daily Mix,” which makes me think about how closely people are watching what I listen to. A lot about how I feel, what I do every day, and what I like can be found in the music I listen to. Spotify uses this information in its algorithms because the playlist is made just for me. I often skip ads quickly, but they still change the types of music and artists I find.

Midday

10:30 a.m.
During a break between classes, I use Google Chrome to look up information for an assignment. Google keeps track of the words you search for, where you are (through your IP address), and details about your device. I looked for academic sources, and then I saw ads for educational tools and productivity software on other sites. This shows how data brokers move information about how people act from one platform to another.

12:15 p.m.
On my laptop, I check my Canvas and ASU email. These sites keep track of your personal and behavioral information, such as when you log in and how many times you click. They feel safer because the school is in charge of them. Nonetheless, someone is monitoring my academic pursuits and interests. I watch short videos on TikTok about fitness routines and money tips while I eat lunch. The algorithm quickly changes to show me more of the same content when I talk to people on TikTok. This shows how personal things are.

Afternoon and Evening

4:30 p.m.
Apple Maps helps me get home. This includes data on where people move and where they are, which some people might find private. I believe Apple’s marketing puts privacy first, but I still know that this information is out there and could be at risk if it is hacked.

7:00 p.m.
After dinner, I watch YouTube videos about how to save money and reviews of cars. I click on a sponsored video without knowing it at first, which shows how ads and content can mix. YouTube keeps track of how long you watch videos, how often you interact with them, and how many ads you click on. You can use this information to learn about how I spend my money.

10:30 p.m.
I send iMessages to my friends before I go to sleep. These talks seem private, but I know that metadata, like when and how often messages are sent, is still there. I can also unlock my phone with Face ID. This makes me think about how biometric data is a part of my life every day. It’s important to keep your biometric data safe because if someone steals it, they will never get it back.

Reflection

One thing that stands out to me about this day is how much passive data creation changes how I use media. I always make data about my behavior, interests, and location, even when I’m not posting. A lot of these numbers are used in algorithms that decide what I see next, which changes the information around me without me knowing it.

This exercise made me aware of how much surveillance is a part of everyday life. I can’t stop gathering data altogether, but I’m thinking about how often I interact with promoted content and how rarely I check my privacy settings. From now on, I’ll only give apps the permissions they need, always use two-factor authentication, and be more careful about which platforms I trust with my private information. This diary helped me realize that data privacy isn’t just about keeping things secret; it’s also about having power, freedom, and knowing how media systems change how people act.