Personalization

You know the saying, “Well, now this is personal”? With advancements in technology and personal devices, there is a lot that’s now personalized. Sometimes people lament the popularity of Apple devices, complaining that we all now carry around the exact same phone, laptop, watch, etc., but even our generic-seeming phones are different from one another. Most people have backgrounds of their loved ones, their favorite views, or things that just make them happy. We can customize our ringtones (like my mom’s, which plays the Kim Possible theme song), our home pages, and the apps we download. 

Just a few decades ago, people purchased music exclusively by CD, record, or tape. This meant that you had to purchase an exact set of songs, and because CDs were expensive, you might not have had very many in your collection. Nowadays, with so many options for streaming services and the almost infinite number of songs available at your fingertips, it would be nearly impossible to find anyone in the world with the exact same music library as you. Even though we might choose to have many of the same devices, our technology use is incredibly individual, and the way we personalize those devices has become more and more elaborate. 

Personalization is a concept that revolves around the individual, highlighting the importance of cultivating an experience customized to the unique user. With more data available now than ever before, the applications of personalization have expanded to marketing teams and social media algorithms, improving healthcare, science, and athletic performance, as well as supporting education and learning. Although an excessive focus on personalization can foster a culture of extreme individualism, a thoughtful approach to personalization offers significant benefits.