ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, the internet became a new site for – and of – consumption. Digital devices – PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smart speakers – have since become networked shopping channels, media sources, cultural and entertainment venues, and tools for governing our everyday lives. This does not mean that all consumption practices have moved online, but it does mean that more and more areas of consumption have become digitalised and then datafied. In this chapter, we set out to describe how widespread adoption of connected digital devices is changing the way people engage in consumption. We discuss the characteristics of the new objects of consumption – digital information goods and intelligent products. Our leitmotif is the growing role of platforms in mediating and shaping the practices of digital consumption. Through matching and recommendation algorithms, they facilitate the choosing of digital and material goods and services and support the development of online shopping. Skilfully using data produced by connected consumers and their devices, they aim to personalise their offerings.
