The Dark Side of Online Advertising: Are You Being Tracked Without Knowing?

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmRcoJZRXEYLinks to an external site.
This 10-minute YouTube video discusses online advertising. Some of these phrases and ideas were mentioned in our textbook chapter, but others were new to me.
The digital world of online advertising can be scary with how much information is being gathered about consumers.
What do you think? Do you read through all of the information before you click the ACCEPT button?
Have you ever had a situation with online advertising that made you wonder how it happened?
The strangest one for me was when I was talking to a friend about my former neighbor who moved away and I couldn’t remember his name. All I said was that he had a neat tire swing in his backyard, but I didn’t know where they moved to and I couldn’t remember his name. Within the hour, my Facebook page showed one of those “you may know” pictures and IT WAS HIM! That one flipped me out because I didn’t even mention his name or his address.
Share your online advertising adventures in this discussion.

HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)

The way businesses advertise their goods and services to customers has been substantially changed by the growth of online advertising. However, the volume of personal information being gathered might also be cause for worry. The “Online Advertising: Crash Course Media Literacy #7” video demonstrates the many techniques used by digital platforms to collect user data, such as their browsing history and location.

While some of this data may be helpful in personalizing content, it also raises concerns about privacy and how much personal data is being recorded. Before clicking the “accept” button and giving access to their data, users should be informed of the terms and conditions.

The enigmatic aspect of online advertising, where goods and services seem to arise out of thin air, is also touched upon in the video. Targeted advertising, which uses the information to make adverts especially catered to a person’s interests and preferences, might be blamed for this issue. This, however, can also result in circumstances where people feel as though their every move is being observed and scrutinized.

The video’s personal experience illustrates how intrusive online advertising can be. It is strange and unnerving that a person’s former neighbor showed up as a “suggested friend” on their Facebook page quickly after a talk about them, without mentioning their name or location.

In conclusion, online advertising has fundamentally changed how companies connect with their target markets, but it also brings up significant concerns about privacy and the morality of data collection. The extent to which our data is being gathered and exploited must be disclosed to us as consumers. We can raise awareness and encourage ethical online advertising practices by talking about our own experiences and participating in debates.