My Father Says He’s a ‘Targeted Individual.’ Maybe We All Are | WIRED

The Nugget

The story of targeted individuals illustrates a modern struggle with technology's pervasive surveillance and manipulation. The author's journey through her father's beliefs reveals underlying societal issues about control and the erosion of free will in the digital age.

Make it stick

🕵️ The CIA's MKUltra mind control program ran from 1953 to 1973 and involved unethical experiments on unwitting subjects.
🤖 Targeted individuals (TIs) can be seen as canaries in the coal mine, warning us about the dangers of digital surveillance and manipulation.
🔍 “Homo fabulator” – humans as storytellers who shape reality through narrative, influenced by digital technologies.
🧩 Carl Jung believed that a disconnect between conscious and unconscious minds leads to psychological disturbances; TIs might be highlighting this societal dissociation.

The author's father believes he is a targeted individual (TI) subjected to clandestine government surveillance and harassment, a claim stemming from his mental health struggles and experiences.
Targeted individuals have formed a community that shares experiences of perceived electronic harassment, fostering a belief system that resonates with many, especially in the age of conspiracy theories.

The digital age allows for intense scrutiny of personal behavior through data collection, leading to a populace that feels constantly monitored and manipulated.
The information economy thrives on user data, impacting free will and sometimes inducing paranoia, as individuals feel they are being targeted by unseen forces—a parallel to the experiences of TIs.

Historical figures labeled as prophets or visionaries often experienced what could be interpreted as madness, suggesting that madness may harbor insights about societal truths.
The author draws parallels between TIs and historical narratives about prophets, challenging readers to reconsider the stigma around mental illness and beliefs on surveillance.

Digital technologies, while created to enhance freedom, may instead erode personal autonomy, as evidenced by the chilling predictive capabilities of modern algorithms.
The necessity for regulatory measures in data collection is highlighted, advocating for a shift towards a model where users can control and monetize their own data.

“Perhaps the stories of ‘targeted individuals’ are a warning... about the real targeting we experience as digital technologies pervade our lives.”
“We are Homo fabulator; our fate is shaped by the stories we tell.”
“Madness is more code than chemistry. If we want to understand it, we need translators—native speakers, not just brain scans.”
“When you open up your mind to data, you gradually become less free.”
“The targeted individuals are living the nightmare of what could happen. We must awaken.”

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.