← Back to Concept Index

digital-data-algorithms

The chapter highlights the role of big data and algorithms in shaping consumption patterns and decision-making in internet-based services.

1 chapter across 1 book

The McDonaldization of Society: Into the Digital Age (2019)George Ritzer

Chapter 3 Efficiency and Calculability: Consumers 1

Chapter 3 explores the principles of efficiency and calculability as they manifest in contemporary consumer culture, particularly through fast-food, higher education, healthcare, entertainment, and internet consumption. It highlights how processes are streamlined to maximize speed and convenience, while products and services are simplified and quantified, often shifting labor onto consumers themselves. The chapter also discusses the rise of data-driven algorithms and big data analytics as tools for emphasizing quantity over quality in various sectors.