Online Advertisement and Math
Targeted advertising has become extremely prominent in media in recent years. Many claim that even a passing mention of a product is sucked up by their phone’s microphone, transmitted to the producers data center, then distributed to advertisers for easy profit. With the growing proclivity of devices to harvest data under the guise of providing a better user experience, targeted advertising has become a household name. Since even you, the reader, have probably experienced an advertisement that cropped up immediately after a change in your life, possibly a new baby, a change in career, or a new hobby, it is evident that data is being harvested on everybody. This data is then aggregated, bought and sold, and analyzed to find the best way to exploit the target’s wallet.
In respect to my previous article on the use of mathematical models in the ranking of U.S. universities, this type of predatory advertising extends nicely. Many for profit universities, including the likes of Vatterott and Corinthian, have been caught multiple times by the federal government targeting the isolated and weak members of society in hopes of convincing them to “invest” in their future by overpaying for a bachelor’s degree. These member’s of society are the most likely to succumb to predatory ads and exhaust federal loan options to pay for overpriced degree programs. Many for profit colleges have expansive marketing teams that utilize big data to profile prospective leads and discern what would “inspire” them to attend their college.
This type of advertising was seen as a boon in the marketing industry. No longer would your ads fall on deaf ears, costing companies large swaths of cash that yield no return. Targeted ads would be good for the consumer, giving them everything they could ask for within arm’s reach. Before, this type of advertising was difficult, perhaps there was a magazine that had a certain demographic that marketers could exploit; however, today, there is an unyielding amount of information about every person. Even though many now utilize VPNs and other sites that do not disclose tracking information like geolocation and click through data, the instant you travel to one of the major social media sites like Amazon, Google, or Facebook, your fingerprint is so unique, they no longer have to rely on the most reliable tracking tools.
Targeted advertisements, as many would agree, are not a bastion of simplicity for consumers. Instead, they are infringing on privacy and look only to further exploit the greatest amount of money they can. While on the odd occasion, the consumer might be glad they were reminded that they really wanted that new sofa for the living room, most of the time, it is just a brooding reminder that everything they do online is tracked and sold for company profit. The general rule of thumb on the Internet is: if the product is free, you are the product.
