Internet ads and why people don't like them

 

Internet ads and why people don't like them 

If you go on the internet frequently, chances are you have seen an abundance of advertisements everywhere you go. Google is often the source of the ads that seem to consume you wherever you visit online. When ads are custom tailored to something you were just researching or something you just bought it's called a cookie. Cookies are based on an algorithm in order to push you to buy something relevant to what you were just looking at or had previously purchased. Companies get paid for ad time, they usually get paid depending on how many people visit the website and the website the ad is occupying. 

The fundamental point of ads and algorithms from the companies that dish them out is to make more money because of more clicks from the consumer. If Windex bought a sponsor spot in let's say Britannica because that site has a generous supply of ads on it. Britannica gets paid by Windex for every person that views the ad. However, it is a very small amount of money that companies get so, in order to make more money, companies want to obtain a copious amount of clicks onto their site so they can make more money.

The focal point of this ted talk was the youtube algorithm and how it can be used to persuade people to believe different things and possibly change election results. I tend to accept this as true and I think it's heavily biased towards the democratic party. If you look on youtube there are more videos pushing the democratic agenda compared to the republican agenda. My purpose here is not to push politics and my ideal, but I do consider there is some attempt at persuasion in terms of who people vote for. It is my understanding that many people who don’t think for themselves or aren’t as intelligent are prone to believing what the media and websites like youtube say.  People with this ability to think for themselves and obtain a higher order of thinking are more likely to believe what they think is right and do their own research on a topic in order to form their own opinion. Although there is no way for me to prove this with evidence, it is my opinion, which I am entitled to. 

Going back into the youtube algorithm specifically, the point is to recommend videos youtube thinks you will like in order to get more watch time which makes money based on the ads implemented. The whole process of putting ads in youtube videos is called “monetization.

In conclusion, I don't think youtube is at fault for people changing their opinions on things based on a youtube video. I think they should try and take politics out of the equation because that seems to be a bit more important than people who watch cat videos getting recommended a cat video for a change.

we're making a dystopia just to make people click on ads. Performance by Zeynep
     Tufekci, ted talk. ted talks, www.ted.com/talks/
     zeynep_tufekci_we_re_building_a_dystopia_just_to_make_people_click_on_ads.