💀 creepy OR 🤑 convenient❓

I know we all are at least somewhat aware of the fact that ads know everything about us. It used to be we all got the same ads on tv and then maybe saw a billboard or an advertisement in the newspaper. Back then, things were more generalized and people would find it a lot easier to say no to products. Things are far different in 2023.

Now there are ads on the most popular applications that nearly everybody is using. Not only are there ads, but they specifically cater to your wants and needs. Sometimes even, you are made aware of something that even YOU did not know that you desired. Yes, I am indeed hinting that ads can possibly read our minds.

A lot of people are not okay with this invasion of privacy, although the majority of the time we do indeed submit to these types of practices when we sign the terms of service and privacy policy for an application. I think there will always be an odd feeling surrounding the idea of someone else knowing you as well as you do, or perhaps even better. Especially when a lot of the time now, that someone is indeed an AI of sorts.

Although there is a camp of people who do not appreciate targeted ads, there are also many such as me that realize how beneficial this can be to our lives. Sure, we are now more tempted than ever to spend money, but isn't that what makes an economy successful? If you can develop self-control, you have the ability to say no to anything. It doesn't matter how well the ads target you, it is ultimately up to you to do the clicking and purchasing.

I can't tell you how many times I've been shown an ad somewhere such as Facebook and then ended up buying the item. I am not the type to waste money, so I'm not just falling for every little thing. I do however often find some things extremely useful or desirable and it is really nice to not have to construct a complicated Google search and then sift through all of the results. I much prefer letting an algorithm get to know me and display what I will find most intriguing.

Our devices are listening to us, they hear everything. If you talk about a certain product, you can bet that you'll be getting ads for that same thing less than 24 hours later. I'm not joking at all when I say this, but I even get ads for things that I've only thought about inside of my head. No searches online, no conversations in public, yet still somehow the exact thing that I was picturing shows up in ad form. That phenomenon is really hard for me to explain. Do I have uncontrollable foresight and am able to predict my future? Or are these systems somehow able to read our brain waves and determine what it is we are thinking?

The two ad images in the thumbnail image of this post are perfect examples of very specific targeted ads. I love sweet smells and cannot resist the taste of cinnamon. The algorithm knows this and made sure to show me this insanely unique Wafflecone cologne. I of course clicked on the ad right away since I had never seen anything like it. I haven't purchased it yet, but I've considered doing so several times already.

The same goes for the Starbucks ad. I haven't drunk coffee in over a year, so you'd think the algorithm would not waste its time showing me coffee. That is not so. They know me so well that they showed me the only possible drink that would ever get me into the idea of drinking coffee again. Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew. That's a mouthful and quite the delicious one at that. Nitro Cold Brews were always my go-to drink at Starbucks. Cinnamon, as I mentioned before, is one of my favorite flavors in the entire world. Although I have yet to go try this drink, I now have a strong desire to do so.

I'm curious to know if you too are plagued (or blessed) with ads that know exactly what you want in life. I'm sure the answer is yes, but we probably all realize what's going on to a different degree. I stay fully aware of these types of things and it keeps getting better and better at what it does each year. I no longer am annoyed by ads, but instead curious to see what I will be shown next.

I'm on the side that is okay with and even enjoys targeted ads. Yes, I know that means someone has a bunch of information about me on some database. Most likely, that will never affect me in a negative way. If it does, at least I was shown hundreds if not thousands of products that I never knew I would love.

Comment below with your thoughts on this subject.

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