Big Tech Companies and Consumers' Media Engagement: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

In the digital age, consumers engage with media through platforms created and maintained by Big Tech companies, which include giants like Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. These companies have become an integral part of our daily lives, shaping how we communicate, consume information, and interact with the world around us. Big Tech's business models are intricately designed to engage consumers and keep them connected to their platforms. While these strategies have led to unprecedented levels of user engagement and commercial success, they have also raised significant concerns about privacy, individual freedom, and societal well-being. This chapter examines Big Tech companies' strategies for engaging consumers with media and the myriad consequences for these companies, consumers, and society at large. Based on a content analysis of multiple sources (news, business press, industry and consumer reports, and academic research), this chapter discusses the interplay between Big Tech's power and its effectiveness in engaging consumers, as well as the ethical issues that arise in terms of potential threats to consumers' privacy, freedom, and even well-being.