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This is a post in response to @atamme’s question, “Are people aware of big tech monitoring them, or do they simply not care?”
In my opinion, I believe that people simply do not care that big technology companies are watching their every move. These companies, like Facebook and Google, supply us with such an addictive products that we struggle to reconcile the consequences associated with them. I think big tech surveillance awareness is similar to that of one's awareness of their own breathing on blinking. We are not really conscious that those things are happening until someone brings it to our attention and we really think about it. But that only occurs once every couple of weeks, so for the most part we simply ignore the things that aren't innately remarkable.
Whether we like to admit it or not, we are all at least a little addicted to our smart devices and the instant gratification they hold. I remember when my father first got his smartphone in the late 2000s and would utilize it to answer every question he had. My mom did not like that one bit, and began calling his BlackBerry a “conversation killer.” We are no longer forced to ponder queries and thoughts because we can look up the answers to everything from a seemingly endless encyclopedia that fits in our back pockets. The advent of social media adds another dimension to the pleasure principle behind smartphones and the big technology companies found within them. A large proportion of social media users utilize apps like Facebook to feel validated, especially when they are feeling down on themselves. Post a picture and you instantly receive notifications for comments and likes; people you have not talked to in years will leave compliments, unknowingly boosting your spirits. People are too distracted by and enthralled with their devices to care about big tech surveillance.