The playlists (really mixtapes) of my past seem to be churning ideas that I cannot ignore. When you’re a teenager, it’s easy to get caught up in the music and catchy choruses. Despite that possibility, Bad Religion and their catalogue of songs always hit a bit harder. They were more than just songs. They were thought provoking anthems that expanded both my vocabulary and view of the world. As I was considering an idea that I relate to my students often, a line from the BR song “21st Century Digital Boy” popped into my head. “Symbolized bar code quick ID.” In and of itself, this line is meaningless without context. However, where would a modern product be without its bar code?
The concept that I’ve been talking to students about for a while now is that they are “the product.” At the beginning, the discussion circles around the fact that social media apps are not free. The users are the product. Regardless of which platform is being used, the person posting and consuming is both the product and a customer. Their content and eyes are on offer to other companies and consumers. This discussion may seem bleak but it’s not the full on point. While Meta and other companies like it are turning you into a product, the recognition needs to be made that you were always the product.
Despite my job in education, I think that school has caused part of the problem. The system is so pervasive that the individuals within it tend to forget that it’s there for them. They are the product. If they want to be adept at mathematics, writing, a foreign language or other skills, they can be. But if they want to just bide their time and “get through” then that’s also a possibility. While the system may need revamping, it still offers a wealth of possibility to the student. The internet has also offered up more knowledge and skill training than any one person could consume. Regardless of where input is coming from, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT!
Perhaps it makes some people uncomfortable to think this way because they’ve grown used to being a product of other people’s design. Parents, teachers, friends, culture and other forces have tried to shape us throughout the years. Some of those nudges have been with our best interest at heart. Others come with strings and/or ulterior motives. What if you were a product of your own design? The clay that you are may be partially shaped but there is always the opportunity to reshape what’s there.
So, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT! Perhaps I am just playing the “middle class intellectual” (not lazy) but deciding who you want to become cannot be a bad idea. For a song that was written in the 90’s, there is more accuracy in the lyrics than I’d like to admit. Yet, we all have the ability to stem that tide. Shifts at the societal level begin with the individual. And if the societal shift never comes, then at least you’ve impact the value, marketing, longevity or quality of the one product that you use everyday. Lots of people value your time and attention. Value your own!
Pete
Huryk Unlimited 