Another day, another media timeline. Except, I’m also tracking what potential data is being set out. Every app, every social media site, and every ad collects a fragment of data on you.
So, for a class assignment, I’m doing another media timeline, but also a timeline of any data that could’ve been collected. All of this information was tracked on September 12, 2025.
5:25 a.m. – After waking up and checking my smart watch, I go on YouTube and watch the Nintendo Direct livestream. This can show YouTube and Google that I enjoy video games and Nintendo products.
7:35 a.m. – After the Nintendo Direct finishes, I go on Discord to discuss the livestream with friends. Discord is very transparent about the data it collects, such as the messages you send and device information.
9:25 a.m. – After eating my breakfast, I mindlessly scroll on Instagram. I like a lot of cooking and fitness content, so it’s a majority of what Instagram recommends me.
11:20 a.m. – Went on a walk, so of course I had to listen to music. I listen to a lot of indie, J-pop and rock, so YouTube Music creates playlists for me with curated song recommendations. I prefer my own playlists, though.
12:13 p.m. – Did a home workout on YouTube! This lets Google and YouTube know I’m into fitness content.
1:42 p.m. – After working out, I look up a recipe for Kimchi-jjigae. On the website, there were ads for activewear. I think this is because of Google and Meta’s knowledge about how I interact with fitness-related content.
4:42 p.m. – I went on X/Twitter and saw they were showing ads for mobile games I play regularly. I play most games on my tablet instead of my phone, which tells me these sites also have information about my other devices.
8:00 p.m. – I check my bank account before heading to bed.
I have personalized ads and data sharing information off for X and Instagram. So, it is concerning for them to still show me ads that are clearly tailored based on what I interact with on those social media sites. This could tell me they have similar algorithms, or that I may need to double-check my settings. But it only seems they use my data, especially about fitness content, to sell me things.
Akiyah's Diary 