Interesting...

Apparently, Target can know your pregnant before even you do! This topic came up in discussion yesterday at work. Many corporations can track people's spending habits and can notice a change in spending that you make, even if its something you are doing only subconsciously.

You should read this article here.

 It is 9 pages, but full of interesting tid bits on how they track your information (totally big brother style) and what they do with that info. Actually, it really gets into on page 1 then 7-9 on how Target themselves uses the info. When you think about it, it's pretty scary. I am open about our life, I mean, I have a blog and write about what is going on in my life and what I am thinking about. But to know that someone is tracking my info that I never really gave permission to have available to others makes me feel so violated and exposed. I do not like "The Man" to know every little thing I do or purchase. Not that I really have anything to hide, but it is just uncomfortable.

Then it got me thinking... if they track this kind of stuff, can they track suspicious spending? for instance if someone all of a sudden started buying things that could hurt someone or things that would help cover up a murder, etc like that? I mean, if they track everything, could they potentially know if someone might be planning to intentionally hurt someone? if so, what do they do with that information? do they just throw it out the window because really all they care about is getting more consumers? I know this sounds awful to think about... but it makes sense if they are really capable of analytically and statistically figuring out all these types of lifestyles and habits.

When the article started talking about the mice in the maze looking for the chocolate and how after a while of doing the same maze over and over there minds activity decreased as it let the habit take over of knowing where to go. Man, I have done that quite a few times when driving and thinking, wow... I was thinking of something else the entire time I was driving to work and don't remember driving all the way here. But because it was habit to drive to the same place each day, I didn't have to think about it really. That is a pretty scary thought too. To know that you can do something without even thinking about it simply because it is a habit.

"Habits aren’t destiny — they can be ignored, changed or replaced. But it’s also true that once the loop is established and a habit emerges, your brain stops fully participating in decision-making. So unless you deliberately fight a habit — unless you find new cues and rewards — the old pattern will unfold automatically." - Charles Duhigg


The upside to the article gives good insights to habits and what you can do to recognize and understand those habits. And even how to begin new, good habits if you wanted to. (which I will using to implement more excersize on maternity leave). So you should definitely read the article for a number of reasons. Like I said before, it's long, but informative. It gives me the willies (about companies "spying") and positive helpful information all at the same time.

What did you think about the article?