TECH SHORTCUTS FOR LIFE
How to See If Facebook’s Algorithms Think You’ve ‘Established Adult Life’
And other things you can learn about yourself from the copious amount of data companies collect about you
Tech Shortcuts for Life is a weekly column from Thomas Smith on Debugger exploring the apps, automations, gadgets, and other tech tricks that can make your life more efficient.
“Know thyself.”
Ever since those words were chiseled into the forecourt of the ancient Greek Temple of Apollo, people have been repeating them and advocating for self-knowledge. Socrates famously added that “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Although, he was put to death shortly after saying that. So maybe take his advice with a grain of salt.
Either way, though, knowing yourself is hard. Have you ever had someone ask you a simple question like, “What’s your favorite movie?” or “What foods do you like?” — only to draw a total blank and stammer something like, “Umm, chicken?” I know I have. Self-knowledge can require a ton of hard work and introspection — journaling, meditation, soul-searching, spirit quests. Not everyone has the time for that.