The title is provocative: "Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are," by economist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz.
This fascinating book on Big Data presents numerous curious examples, many related to social sciences. It discusses how the vast amounts of data currently available reveal truths about people and also challenge assumptions based on experience or intuition, which are often mistaken. And how these data can be important allies in decision-making.
Several findings use digital traces we leave on internet searches and social media records as data sources. These sources allow for contrasts with data revealed, for example, by traditional surveys, in which people may not always be as honest as they are when alone, in direct dialogue with the keyboard.
The author navigates through various themes related to data usage, bringing insights on prejudice, health, sex, sexuality, sports, education, politics, economy, pregnancy, violence, experiments, among others.
It also discusses limitations and dangers related to Big Data, such as those related to ethics, pre-judgment, or punishment of people.
"Offering new kinds of data is the first power of Big Data. (...)
Offering honest data is the second power of Big Data. (...)
Allowing the analysis of small subsets of people is the third power of Big Data. (...)
Allowing many causal experiments to be conducted is the fourth power of Big Data."
Published originally in Portuguese, on LinkedIn::https://www.linkedin.com/posts/priscilazvmezzena_bigdata-bigdataanalysis-activity-7096825236574105600-laww?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Comments