Is internet persuasion inherently bad? What are the pros and cons?

Hi, I’m Orly. I’m a senior at Bard High School Early College Queens and I live in Brooklyn. I recently read your article on the intricacies of the online shopping industry, especially during the pandemic.

Shopping online used to be very simple. You wanted something, you looked it up, and you bought it. But it’s more complicated now. We have to worry about finding the right brand, supporting ethical business practices, and getting scammed. As online shopping because more popular, the more opportunities there are to get taken advantage of and manipulated. You discuss the complicated process of internet persuasion and the importance of understanding that process. The online platforms we use, like Netflix or Amazon, heavily influence how we think and what we do, and there are various benefits and issues that arise with this kind of online control.

There is no doubt that internet persuasion and surveillance provides us with convenience. Amazon sees that I really like buying candles and recommends all kind of candles that I never would have had the energy or time to find on my own. It’s extremely helpful, but it’s also dangerous. Amazon controls me; it knows that I like to buy candles and that I’m susceptible to being manipulated on that front. Amazon learns my shopping weaknesses and takes advantage of them in the name of convenience, and that’s scary. From fake reviews to sneaky recommendations, the online shopping industry has a great effect on people.

My question to you is this: is it worth it? Is the convenience worth a future in which the online shopping industry controls our lives? If so, why? If not, what’s the alternative?