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When a human being becomes a set of data on a website like…

“When a human being becomes a set of data on a website like Facebook, he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character. Friendships. Language. Sensibility. In a way it’s a transcendent experience: we lose our bodies, our messy feelings, our desires, our fears.” quote by Zadie Smith
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““When a human being becomes a set of data on a website like Facebook, he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character. Friendships. Language. Sensibility. In a way it’s a transcendent experience: we lose our bodies, our messy feelings, our desires, our fears.””

Zadie Smith

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Digital reduction strips away humanity’s complexity, turning people into mere data points.

In simple terms: Data reduces us to simple profiles.

Key Takeaway

Guard personal depth against datafication.

Themes

technology humanity identity

Mood

critical analytical

Type

cultural philosophical

When to use this quote

  • social media
  • privacy
  • online identity
  • AI ethics

Key Concepts

media studies philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does digital life affect your sense of self?
  • What boundaries should protect personal complexity?
A Different Perspective

Data can also empower self‑expression.

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