The Internet of Behaviours And How Ready We Are

June 22, 2021 / IOT Technology

internet of behaviors

We are well acquainted with the fact that data is used by the companies that are collected from its users. There was a time when the collection of data meant in-person surveys. However, in today’s day and age, the system of gathering data, tracking and then analysing large amounts of data is based on our internet activity.

IoT means the Internet of Things, which includes several devices that connect to the internet, namely fitness watches, phones, credit cards, etc. The complexity of the IoT is always growing in regards to the linking between various devices and the various abilities of the devices to process the data.

So basically, the whole process relates to the way humongous amounts of data collected through the user’s internet activity can be analysed to extract information that can then be used by businesses to better serve their customers and increase their profit. The way to do it brilliantly is through the Internet of Behaviours.

Internet of Behaviors

The fact that through data mining you can find useful patterns in behaviour was first discovered by a psychology professor called Gote Nyman in 2012. Data mining helps provide insight into the path the world is taking which helps orient businesses in a way compatible to increase profits. Nyman put forth the theory that it is entirely possible to anticipate trends in the marketplace by analysing the patterns of human background. The Internet of Behaviours was believed to be technically simple to accomplish, but psychologically it’s a bigger challenge. Mining data can help you build statistics of everyday life including large groups of people’s choices and behaviour patterns, but there is still a dearth of understanding when it comes to extracting the meaning of individuals.

Nyman believes that we can incorporate IB in various aspects of our lives such as our work, personal accounts, etc. He also believed that the boom of services and apps in the market will inevitably lead to gaining hordes of information directly from users and whole communities directly. Nyman was trying to understand the pitfalls of the internet of technology to better build failsafe systems to predict behaviour patterns. In today’s day and age, there are approximately 17.1 billion internets of things devices in the field mining data, which when combined with the leaps taken in learning by machines, boosts the technological growth of the Internet of Behaviours. From IoT, IoB is extracted. IoT uses devices to collect data that is then analysed based on individuals interest, behaviours and preferences. 

Without a doubt, IoB has a lot of potential for growth and use in the industry. However, there are several moral and ethical aspects we need to grapple with when it comes to understanding human behaviour in order to manipulate it. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of IoB.

Advantages of the Internet of Behaviours

Boost individual experience

Strategizing is an important part of sales including improving the visitor experience. The information that IoB provides lends more understanding to customer preferences towards your services and products, which makes it simpler to evolve the experience to include resolving of customer issues. 

Improve customer health

There are many technological advancements like sensors that can determine if the employees are maintaining a certain level of hygiene. Moreover, cameras can also access if various protocols are being applied like social distancing. It can also keep a tab on the patient’s and the health care providers’ engagement in the healthcare industry.

Customer-centric product marketing

IoB provides deep insight into the common behaviour patterns exhibited by users through various analytical tools employed by marketing companies. Internet of behaviour enables businesses to keep a tab on the users buying patterns, be able to analyse data that was not possible to access in earlier times and adjust the marketing strategy accordingly. 

Boosting the safety of the public

Keeping an eye on public safety is opening up new avenues in the market. You can easily analyses drivers behavior and notice any dangerous patterns that might emerge to make the necessary changes in making the whole scenario safer.

There are several pitfalls to the Internet of Behaviors as well. Let’s take a look.

  1. Privacy issues
    The data is mined vu IoT, the better IoB functions to decipher behaviour patterns. Several businesses actually are focused entirely on the purchase and sale of data. Apps such as PayPal have revealed information that it shares user data with a large number of businesses including your name, phone number and address. Uber is another company that buys apps that help them acquire large amounts of customer data without any permission. This infringes on the privacy rights of customers and puts forth dangerous security and legal issues. The incessant observation of users through IoB incites a risk of surveillance. Government and private sectors collect data separately, but the possibility of government coercing private companies by simply making laws to force them into sharing or selling their user information to them. Even in India, the government is forcing social media platforms to share their information with the government.
  2. The social and ethical dilemmaUser choices are manipulated by the internet of behaviour, and simultaneously it also helps evolve the behaviour patterns of customers. Even though a small percentage of people would be hesitant to hand over their data, the majority would happily hand it over if it makes their life and tasks easier to navigate and accomplish. People are relying on technology increasingly each day and don’t mind giving access to it all day around. They prefer to have all of their devices connected as it helps make life simpler.
  3. Security issuesCybersecurity threats are going up all over the world. Getting their hands on IoT data can cause irreparable security problems as all the behavioural patterns will be available to be abused. It could also easily enable people to access information such as access codes for your bank, property, etc.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you have to be careful about the amount of information you allow online, but at the end of the day, there is relative security through your web hosting provider and service. Data mining is a fast way for businesses to get their hands on behaviour patterns to employ in their companies. There are of course issues with the fact that users’ privacy is not a concern for either private organisations or the government. You can surely gain information from the IoB, but gaining wisdom is another thing.

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