Media In "The Work of Being Watched: Interactive Media and the Exploitation of Self-Disclosure," Andrejevic (2002) critically analyzes interactive media in terms of labor economics. Being watched is a form of work, Andrejevic (2002) claims. Because consumers are not typically paid for their services, the relationship between consumer and enterprise is a parasitic one. Enterprise is exploiting consumers by watching their online behavior, tracking that behavior, and tallying that behavior as marketing data. That marketing data has inherent value, which is why large investments are made into online and other forms of high-tech surveillance. If Andrejevic (2002) had his way, each and every consumer would be paid for surfing the Web and even for watching television. Andrejevic's (2002) claim is of course absurd and completely unfeasible. Moreover, Andrejevic (2002) is completely ignoring the potentially positive effects of consumer surveillance. Contrary to what Andrejevic (2002) has to say, consumer surveillance has a net positive effect on social, economic, and political empowerment.

As Andrejevic (2002) points out, DotComGuy did not fail. DotComGuy might not have made his $98,000 but he did highlight the relevance of electronic consumer surveillance. High-tech consumer surveillance takes many forms, as Andrejevic (2002) also shows. From TiVo and interactive television to Facebook and Flickr, consumers are willingly and voluntarily...

Often, the dissemination of personal information is mediated through a social networking facility such as Facebook. The Facebook user becomes a fan of their favorite movies, books, and musicians primarily as a means of sharing their likes and dislikes with friends. A Facebook user often becomes a fan of products, services, and local businesses. High-tech surveillance enables complex algorithms to amalgamate such fan data, taking into account geographic location, age, gender, and other demographic characteristics. With fascinating speed and accuracy, the algorithm helps to create personalized advertisements for each user.
Andrejevic (2002) finds all this too scary and denounces it in terms of its being potentially exploitative. However, the author fails to understand that consumers voluntarily give away their personal information. Any consumer that wants to remain completely anonymous can choose not to use Facebook to connect with friends, or not to use Flickr to manage photographs. The television viewer can also remain anonymous by opting out of conveniences like TiVo. The fact that the surrender of personal data occurs on a voluntary basis is alone sufficient information to disprove Andrejevic's (2002) critique.

Another reason why Andrejevic's (2002) falls short is that the…