Companies that target an individual
consumer through advertisements are a little scary to think about. I believe that companies don’t have a right
to break consumers’ privacy. I don’t
want companies knowing exactly which websites I’m viewing on the Internet,
including Google or a link to another website from a social media website. I feel that I can’t go unnoticed without some
company targeting me for advertisements and try to get me on board with buying
their products.
However, advertisement tracking
makes life easier and more convenient for a consumer to purchase products
online. It provides a bigger picture of
the Internet and the advertising for a certain company. For instance, I was on Facebook a few days
ago. An advertisement was featuring
Urban Decay (a makeup brand) that everything online was 20% off. Since I’m interested in their product, I
browsed their website. I was hesitant
about buying something even though I really wanted it. Later that day, I went on Facebook again, and
clicked on a link that led me to another website. When I got to the website, I was astonished
to see a banner advertisement of Urban Decay’s 20% off of everything deal. As I watched the Wall Street Journal’s “What They Know” video, it all made sense to
me how these advertisements were specifically targeting me. They figured out that I had previously looked
at Urban Decay’s website. Previous to
watching this video, I was clueless what cookies were and how they worked. By watching the video, I now understand about
third-party cookies and how they play a part in the advertising world. In that case, it was interesting for me to
notice how advertisements on social media websites and others are all connected
together.
In a generation with technology all
around us, both of my points contradict each other but are somewhat
useful. As we were talking about in
class, most people know about Internet tracking and companies advertising their
products online. Most parents only say
to be careful of what you put online.
But, only some people will go in depth of both the Internet tracking and
an advertisement individually targeting a person. Individually targeting a person through
advertisements is essentially making them aware of their surroundings on the
computer.
For a moment, I enjoyed reading how impressed you were with the discounted make-up. Of course, this would make most women feel good to receive discounts on their favorite cosmetics. However, is it worth losing what little privacy we have left? What do benefits and discounts lead to? Rationalizing invasion of privacy in order to receive something could be compared to giving the Indians (Native Americans) mirrors or other trinkets.The system gives you an incentive to support tracking. Thereafter, they can completely “conquer” your privacy.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about internet advertising. In fact, many people might feel the same way. We want to retain our privacy on the internet, yet we still desire relevant advertising. Both factors are incompatible and result in a paradoxical opinion. Nevertheless, I personally believe privacy is more valuable than convenient marketing. If information falls into the wrong hands on the internet, one's professional and personal life can be permanently tarnished. The internet is a double-edged sword necessary to most everyone's daily regiment. We fear what we need. It's as simple as that.
ReplyDeleteI loved your personal example of you realizing the use of the targeted advertisements that was displayed just for you. It seems easiest to do this on a social network like Facebook because people like certain things on it like a brand or a product which enables the companies to take that like a create ads just for them. This is fair because people choose to like a certain page but when it is simple as clicking a link that is taking it too far. I dont understand how companies like Facebook have the right to simply take their users privacy at a whim without any prior approval to the users and makes it even worse is that they do not inform the users. Targeted ads are useful in sense that they create revenue but i would rather take liberty over convenience.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christina! In my opinion, it is a great job! I agree with you that companies don’t have a right to break consumers’’ privacy.
ReplyDeleteAt the other hand, I totally agree with you that advertisement tracking makes our lives easier and more convenient. For example, it is much easier to look for furniture online then if we go every time in the furniture’s shop.
In addition, I agree with you in this point that the advertisements on social media websites are connected together. Sometimes they have a sound and suddenly disturb you when you work. That is why; I usually turn off sounds when I work online.