Social Shopping

From: Sally Herships
Length: 04:18

There was an uproar when Facebook fiddled with its privacy settings -- but really, people willingly give up their privacy all the time for perks like coupons and discounts. Why? Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Social Shopping
From: Sally Herships

Twitter_small

Used to be most coupons came in the mail or in the Sunday paper. But now it is far more common that they come with a click. Online marketers are practically throwing discounts at potential customers. But there is a price. In return, they expect you to hand over all kinds of personal information and you do.

So how much privacy would you give up for 25 percent off a great new pair of shoes or maybe a free magazine subscription? Reporter Sally Herships looks at the trade-offs.

More from Sally Herships

Caption: A U.S. soldier smokes a cigarette in Afghanistan. Members of the armed forces are one-and-a-half times more likely to smoke than civilians. , Credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

The Five Percent Rule (06:24)
From: Sally Herships

The military has failed to comply with its own tobacco pricing restrictions, selling millions of dollars of tobacco-based products to service members well beneath legal ...

Slow Media 2: Woman quits the Internet (03:40)
From: Sally Herships

No cell phone, no email, no internet. Could you go offline for six months? Journalism professor Jennifer Rauch did. She talks about her experience and prepares to go back online.

Caption: The Chapnick's living room, home to Samantha Chapnick's desk, a day bed and the family's bikes., Credit: Sally Herships

How far does $250K go in New York City? (03:56)
From: Sally Herships

$250K may mean a whole lot in any other American town, but in New York City, shopping at Whole Foods might be as good as it gets.

Gift Registries for Kids? (04:30)
From: Sally Herships

Gift registries for weddings are the norm, but what about registries for kids? It's not always easy to know what to get a two-year-old. But is a registry necessary? Or maybe ...

Remember Paper Checks? (03:34)
From: Sally Herships

Paper is so out. One company is fighting back - meet Duncan Steel, the Man with Checks Appeal.

Consumer Gold (04:47)
From: Sally Herships

Marlboro is one of the best known brands around the world. Everyone knows the Marlboro Man. But now Marlboro is facing one of its biggest branding challenges ever - how to ...

Caption: Von Wayditch, Credit: Hungarian Cultural Center of New York

Phantom of the Opera (08:52)
From: Sally Herships

Orgies sell opera tickets, so bring 'em on! Gabriel Von Wayditch was a Bronx resident and native of Hungary. He died in 1969 – and when he was alive he was a pretty ...

Divorce Detective (03:00)
From: Sally Herships

Suspicious spouses, philanderers, and questionable judgment. New York-based Private Eye Jay Salpeter has seen it all. But how will New York's recent change to no-fault ...

Caption: Michael Dory's Secret Robot Crickets

Concrete Crickets (04:06)
From: Sally Herships

New Yorkers are used to seeing graffiti, but now, they're hearing it too. New Yorkers are hearing things these days — and it's coming from the bushes. Audio graffiti. Small ...

Caption: Ashley Falcon , Credit: Greg Kessler/marieclaire.com

Plus Size Fashion (04:07)
From: Sally Herships

There's a big buzz in the fashion world - and it's about Big fashion.

Piece Description

Used to be most coupons came in the mail or in the Sunday paper. But now it is far more common that they come with a click. Online marketers are practically throwing discounts at potential customers. But there is a price. In return, they expect you to hand over all kinds of personal information and you do.

So how much privacy would you give up for 25 percent off a great new pair of shoes or maybe a free magazine subscription? Reporter Sally Herships looks at the trade-offs.

Broadcast History

Marketplace - Friday, September 17, 2010 (American Public Media)

Transcript

SALLY HERSHIPS: Shea Sylvia is 29. She works in online marketing in Kansas City. She's a blogger and a Foursquare user. In case you're not familiar with it, Foursquare is a mobile app that lets you track your location. You "check in" and your friends know where you are. Some businesses offer coupons if you "check in" at their venue.

A couple of months ago, Sylvia was meeting some friends she'd met through her blog at a restaurant. When she arrived, she checked in on Foursquare. She also posted her location on Twitter.

SHEA SYLVIA: A few minutes later, the hostess came over to my table and asked if anybody there was named Shea Sylvia.

HERSHIPS: There was a phone call for her, which Sylvia says she thought was odd. Because after all, she has a cell phone. The guy on the phone said his name was Brian.

SYLVIA: And I don't know anybody named Brian. So I kept saying "Who, who?" And he said...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Used to be most coupons came in the mail or in the Sunday paper. But now it is far more common that they come with a click. Online marketers are practically throwing discounts at potential customers. But there is a price. In return, they expect you to hand over all kinds of personal information and you do. So how much privacy would you give up for 25 percent off a great new pair of shoes or maybe a free magazine subscription? Reporter Sally Herships looks at the trade-offs.

OUTRO: