We stopped worrying and learned to love the chatbot

Once we believed apps were listening to our conversations. Targeting us with ads. We were outraged.

Now we tell chatbots our worries. Our feelings. Our hopes and secrets.

What changed?

Maybe it’s that sharing benefits me directly. I get something back. Social media ads never gave me anything.

Maybe it’s that I pay for these tools. That makes me feel like my data is more secure. If they were ad-supported, I’d share less. Imagine talking about something personal and then getting an ad for a therapist in Umeå. I’d quit immediately.

I probably overshare. Haven’t found the line yet.

It’s cheaper than a psychologist.