All the hype over “big data” combined with the looming threat of terrorism and the inroads into personal rights with the Patriot Act have created a landscape of fear. Now we have Apple vs. the government. The question is, who do you fear most? Big business or big government? The current election season is making the government process seem pretty, well, dysfunctional if not downright dangerous. By comparison, it makes the serenity of an Apple store seem like a temple to the individual.
Beliefs are just that, beliefs. The facts don’t matter. People tell themselves a story and if it feels right (what Jerome Bruner, my fav cognitive psychologist, calls verisimilitude), then it is right. A story about Apple protecting your data is a much easier one to tell than that the government isn’t going to violate your rights. I mean, seriously, who believes they are just going to hack into a phone this one time? I’m not saying which side is right, but Apple has a serious leg up on this narrative space!
Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available to reporters for comments on the psychological and social impact of media and technology on individuals, society, organizations and brands.