Targeted ads are talking to me. I don’t like what they’re saying

3 months ago 22

I am the youngest of three children, a piece of information that is largely irrelevant to anyone outside my immediate family. I mention this only because a few years ago, I briefly toyed with the idea of writing a column about youngest child syndrome, which meant I spent a few hours reading up on the topic.

That story was ultimately abandoned (even though we’re far more interesting than, say, oldest children), but in the brave new world of personal data farming, the damage was done.

Since then, the internet is convinced that not only am I obsessed with being the youngest child, but I might also be interested in an array of youngest child paraphernalia including mugs, T-shirts and baby onesies, each emblazoned with slogans like, “I’m the youngest child! The rules don’t apply to me,” or “I’m the youngest child! My parents finally got it right!″

Bulge-enhancing underwear, a T-shirt designed to hide your DadBod and endless promotions for hair transplants. If Big Tech has our data, why are targeted ads so terrible?

Annoying as these particular advertisements may be, they pale in comparison with the targeted ads that dominate my social media feeds. Did you know Matthew McConaughey nearly went bald in 1999? He was suffering severe hair loss, but then found a way to “regrow his luscious locks” (his words, not mine).

I know this because, as a male in my mid-30s, BigTech believes I am naturally worried about losing my hair (and desperate to regrow my own luscious locks), so I must constantly be fed reminders about how to cure this issue. If Matthew McConaughey can beat balding, then everything is going to be all right (all right, all right).

Sadly, it doesn’t end there – apparently, I also need underpants that deliver me a bigger bulge (offensive), a T-shirt designed to transform my DadBod (I’m listening) and, bafflingly, a lawn care kit for the garden (which I don’t have).

Targeted advertising, personalised marketing, surveillance capitalism – call it what you want, the commodification of every click has become a necessary evil we must all navigate in the digital age. Of course, the ability to track, collect and commercialise our information is hardly a new phenomenon.

As far back as 2006, Facebook was working with advertisers after previously resisting ads on its site.

In 2007, the company officially launched Facebook Ads, but they were quaint and inoffensive. Brands like Blockbuster (RIP) and Herbal Essences, two of the first companies to partner with Facebook Ads, would create a Facebook page of their own that users could follow. Should you like the Blockbuster page, you might then see a banner ad pop up on your personal Facebook profile advertising Blockbuster. See, charming?

Then came the rise of hyper-targeting, as social media platforms realised they could leverage user demographics, geographic locations and online behaviour for highly personalised ad delivery. It was a move that transformed the online ad industry into a $US540 billion market worldwide and propelled the massive growth of Google and Meta (Facebook, Instagram), as well as retail giant Amazon.

Suddenly, every place you scrolled, clicked, and visited was helping build a profile of you as a consumer. Hey, we noticed you recently added a blender to your cart but then didn’t follow through with the purchase. Perhaps seeing it plastered across every website you visit may change your mind?

I can live with being flogged endless blenders but the rise of ads targeting my flaws (sorry, alleged flaws) is enough to make someone tear their few remaining hairs out.

Unfortunately, this more sinister style of marketing doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. Earlier this year, Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, the former director of Global Public Policy for Facebook, fronted the US Senate, admitting that Meta actively targeted teens with advertisements based on their emotional state.

As an example, she suggested that if a teen girl deleted a selfie, advertisers might see that as an ideal time to sell her a beauty product, as she may not be feeling great about her appearance. Obviously, this is incredibly depressing, and while advertising has always existed to exploit human insecurities (Maybe She’s Born With It? Maybe it’s Maybelline!), tapping into what we’re genuinely afraid of seems deeply inhuman.

Speaking of inhuman, unsurprisingly, the next frontier of targeted advertising involves integrating artificial intelligence. According to a new report by research firm McKinsey and Company, marketers are working on tracking the questions you ask in AI to optimise advertising strategies. Worrying news for those of us who have been known to treat AI like a part-time therapist, best friend, doctor, life coach and, occasionally, chatbot cheerleader.

It remains to be seen what the future of targeted advertising holds, but in the meantime, I’m getting ahead of the curve and training AI to believe I’m totally fine.