The Naturalization of Personalization: How Facebook uses the fantasy of personalization to discursively naturalize the neoliberal ideology and the system of data capitalism

Abstract

This paper reflects on the way personalization is naturalized in the external corporate discourse of Facebook. This paper critically assesses three Facebook blogs through the lenses of ‘voice and style’, ‘modality’, and ‘absence’, and reflects upon two reoccurring myths that circulate in the texts and contribute to the naturalization of personalization: the myth of control and the myth of individualism. The texts create a myth of control by repeatedly writing that the platform ‘puts users in control’ and by focusing on the functionalities the users can use to ‘customize’ the content they see. The texts create a myth of individualism by putting the user central in every text, by emphasizing on individual freedom, agency, and the ability to act autonomously, and by focusing on the things users can do to ‘customize’ and ‘personalize’ their News Feed. Together, the myths help to naturalize the invisible systems of data capitalism and the neoliberal ideology underpinning it. To understand how naturalization takes place in discourse, this paper examines the concepts of control and freedom, and the theoretical frames of ideology, mythology, and naturalization. It is argued that the neoliberal ideology can be seen as something held together by the fantasy of freedom and empowerment, that is among others materialized through technologies like personalization mechanisms. While we all know that our idea of freedom masks a particular form of exploitation, we still continue to follow it. The myths thus do not mask anything, but help to sustain the fantasy of personalization and naturalize the neoliberal ideology and its systems of data capitalism.