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Just Take All My Money

The Algorithm Gods keep sending us personally targeted adverts for pointless products we find ourselves desperate to proceed to checkout! But not everything is a bargain!

By People! Just say Something!Published 3 years ago 6 min read
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It doesn't matter who you are, what your salary is, where you live; as long as you have a smartphone and data, the ads will target you. We've all gotten enticing adverts for products we didn't realise how desperately we wanted in our lives, even if we may not necessarily need it. The social media networks most notorious for these targeted ads are Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok; all of which have persuaded me to part with some cash in exchange for a shiny new trinket, all because of a perfectly timed advert catering to what I really want in life: some form of fulfilment. As if owning something that supposedly makes my life easier or enriched will make me feel more accomplished, as if I have my life together at the decrepit age of 23.

It doesn't, but I bought these things anyway because I am an adult with adult-money who has built an entire personality around cats and houseplants, which most of my targeted ads depict in some way or another.

How do they know?

Internet services like search engines, websites, social media networks and other e-commerce methods gather data such as keywords, habits, location, gender identity, professional occupation, and personal interests. These demographics can be used to target specific products at individuals who are most likely to complete a purchase because it relates more closely to them and their interests. It is used in marketing to reduce the costs of advertising. It costs less to use targeted advertising strategies as the marketing campaign no longer needs to be so widespread; instead, it will go directly to the individuals it is designed for.

My experience with targeted ads:

I have bought my fair share of products because of these targeted adverts and have had a range of different experiences, from scams to absolute bargains.

The first time I bought something that was targeted to me, I was in high school. I was a somewhat athletic kid and had been looking for some new sportswear, which most likely triggered the Algorithm Gods to send me an advertisement for a 2 for £24 Sports Leggings deal from a site called Fabletics. I looked out of curiosity to see that it wasn't a bad deal and completed my purchase! Fast-forward a few business days, and I get a 'fab' set of new leggings that were good quality. This is most likely what started off my online shopping habits since naïve me had a positive experience; I expected every purchase to be the same!

I was incorrect.

After my first transaction, I got more targeted adverts for leggings across my social media, but from a different company: Wish. I had no clue what it was but clicked on it anyway and got to scrolling through the too-good-to-be-true prices of all these unnecessary products. Then I started purchasing clothes; the first was a knitted jumper that arrived after two months of waiting, and it didn't even look like the same product I had ordered. I had gone from a great first experience to a terrible second when I couldn't return it or get a refund. Maybe this was an indicator to quit before I got ahead of myself.

I did not.

It wasn't until after a few more poorly chosen purchases had I learnt to stay away from this scam of a site. But now that I had entered the site through adverts placed in my timeline and I was getting more of the same ads until I got so sick of seeing them, I found out how to 'Hide Ads' that were 'not relevant to me.' and suddenly my timelines and dashboards became a lot cleaner!

I didn't buy anything through targeted ads for a long time; I had had too many negative experiences to want to try again until I started seeing adverts for cat toys.

I love cats and enjoy spoiling my own little gremlin, so when the Algorithm Gods found out, they started flooding my Facebook and Instagram feeds with toys and treats that have a very 'kawaii' aesthetic to them. Then one day, I was enticed by a scratch post shaped like a cactus! It was striking, and our cat had a habit of using furniture to sharpen her claws, so it seemed like a justified purchase. Not thinking that £10 was a meagre price to pay for a 5-foot scatch post, I completed the transaction. I waited a month before receiving an unexpected parcel the size of a notebook. I had been sent a ball of green yarn. Confused as to where it had come from, the only explanation I could come to was the dodgy cat tree I was still waiting to receive. Coming to the conclusion I had been scammed, I threw the shitty yarn away and removed the page that had advertised it from my suggestions.

But of course, I did not stop there.

I bought a cat toy from another cute shop that only tricked me again! At least this time, it wasn't as severe as the cat tree. After thinking that I had bought a toy fish with a mechanical flopping tail, I instead received a regular toy fish. The cat was still happy with her new toy, which somewhat redeemed the situation.

Some more time passed before I dared to buy from another 'new' store having a mysterious sale on the page that only created 10 hours ago. I had learnt my lesson. I knew to check the comments and reviews for authenticity and avoid buying from companies based outside Europe.

Because of the series of negative experiences, I began working towards a spam-and-scam-free newsfeed, engaging in the ads that were supposedly 'meant for me' and removing the ones I didn't like. Since doing this, most of my targeted ads come from one sector of the infinite chasm of e-commerce: houseplants.

I love plants; it's rather obvious when you take a look at my home. We have over 30 individual plants, and I spend a lot of time researching each one's needs, common illnesses, remedies, and random facts. The Algorithm Gods are familiar with my fixation and have started showing targeted ads for online plant stores. Now my newsfeed is filled with beautiful plants that I can enjoy as a nice image and potential new addition to my indoor jungle! I had taken a leap and bought a devil's ivy from Patch Plants, and I was thrilled with the quality and condition of this little plant! Maybe I've finally broken that streak of negative experiences with these targeted ads.

So what now?

I've been tempted by new arrivals, engaged with what I liked, but haven't decided whether I'll go through with another transaction just yet. I'll be holding off for a while on pointless spends until the next new thing I'm obsessed with comes along in an unsuspecting targeted advert.

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About the Creator

People! Just say Something!

Quirky Writing created by Artistic Creativity and the power of AI with the goal of learning something new every day!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleJSS

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeopleJSS

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