Real Life vs Online: How Different Are They?

What Double Tapping Says About You

What is homophily? I heard this word in a TEdTalk by Jennifer Golbek a couple of weeks back, and it is really resonating with me as I write this post. Homophily is defined as the connections one develops with people who are similar to them in some specific way. In Golbek’s video, she discusses how liking a curly fry page on Facebook is indicative of intelligence. 

Despite my excitement for now having a very convincing argument to eat more curly fries, I found the association rather odd. Golbek answered all of my questions as she explained that liking the page was not indicative of the content within it but rather the common attributes of the people who were a part of the page. But how could she relate the people who’d liked the page to intelligence?

This question leads me to my main goal here which is to warn and inform. Having a presence on social media gives these computer scientists the means to use your information. And while this is no reason to start freaking out (especially if you are pregnant, please stay calm), it is important to be mindful of what analysts can ascertain from just snidbits of information.

Why Should You Care?

As I mentioned in my previous posts, postpartum hemorrhage is a complication that can happen both during and up to 6 weeks after you have delivered your baby. The woman’s body experiences an excessive amount of bleeding which can result in maternal death if nothing is done about it. In fact, 125,000 women die every year due to postpartum hemorrhage, and 125,000 is 125,000 too many.

Joining groups on Facebook or following blogs are just a few ways for a woman and her support system to connect with people like her. You can follow my efforts to promote awareness about postpartum hemorrhage on Vimeo too. Going back to the idea of homophily, building this network of people who are like you is a benefit, but keep in mind that every group you are a part of and every page or post you like sheds light onto the online profile you are building each and every day about yourself.

Copyright Notice: The goal of this blog is strictly to inform and educate. There are billions of people living on this Earth, writing their own stories and concerned about what is happening in their own circle. This blog is meant to merge these worlds. All materials are original, unless credit is otherwise given.