What is big data and where does it come from?
Every day, devices and people leave behind data. When the amount is so big and so varied that an ordinary tool, such as a spreadsheet program, cannot handle it well, we call it big data. Analysing it helps people decide better and faster. Where does it come from? Seven sources are good to know. Connected devices: a watch counts steps. Social media: posts, comments and likes; this data may be wrong or fake, so it is not always reliable. Payment records: the amount, the time and the place of a payment, kept in words only. Smart devices: a phone records what it is used for. Digital content: views and shares of a video. Government data: a census and other statistics. Map and location data: how heavy the traffic is on a road. Remember that people should know what data is collected, and a grown-up decides what to share.
| Source | Invented example | Data it makes |
|---|---|---|
| Connected devices | a watch counts steps | numbers every minute |
| Social media | a post with likes | text, time, reactions (may be wrong) |
| Payment records | a school canteen payment | amount and time, in words |
| Smart devices | a phone | what it is used for |
| Digital content | a video | views and shares |
| Government data | a census | counts of people |
| Map and location | a traffic map | speed and crowding of roads |
Make seven small cards, one for each source of big data, with an invented example on the back. Mix them up and sort them with a classmate. Then write one sentence about what a grown-up should decide before data is shared.