The Trouble With Big Data — When Data Becomes the Reality

We often assume that more data produces a clearer picture of reality. But what if the systems that make information easier to process also determine what becomes visible in the first place? Welcome to Crisis in Perception, where we examine the systems shaping our world. Using The Trouble With Big Data: How Datafication Displaces Cultural Practices by Jennifer Edmond, Nicola Horsley, Jörg Lehmann and Mike Priddy as our lens, this episode investigates how datafication reshapes the creation, discovery and interpretation of knowledge. The authors challenge the idea of data as neutral or context-free. Every dataset reflects decisions about collection, classification, digitization and organization. Those decisions make large-scale analysis possible, but they can also strip away provenance, ambiguity, cultural difference and forms of expertise that do not translate easily into structured data. The investigation traces a larger visibility system: digitization, metadata, search ranking and machine learning help determine what becomes discoverable and reusable. Material that fits these systems can become increasingly prominent, while poorly digitized, context-heavy or culturally specific knowledge can become harder to see. Central tensions include scale versus context, prediction versus understanding, automation versus human expertise, and accessibility versus the preservation of complexity. 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gvgV2-82O1Q ❤️ Support / Episode Post on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CrisisinPerception/posts/trouble-with-big-170468235?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link If these ideas resonate, consider reading the work yourself or borrowing it from your local library. Supporting authors and libraries helps keep critical inquiry accessible. If you value systems-level analysis like this, please follow, rate, and share the project. This content was created using AI-assisted tools for research synthesis, structuring, and narration support. All analysis, framing, and editorial decisions are guided by human judgment as part of the Crisis in Perception project.