Facebook Will Kick You While You’re Down
Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry
Filed in:
relationships
3:30PM, Thursday November 20th 2008
Hey, see that ad to the left? Kind of sad huh? I woke up on my 29th birthday (last Sunday), checked my Facebook profile for birthday well-wishers and saw that ad glaring back at me! It’s been there, non-stop practically, all week, a not-so-subtle reminder that two months prior to my 29th birthday, my fiance broke up with me and I became, yes, ALONE AGAIN. If the accuracy of this particular targeted ad wasn’t so freakishly detailed (how on earth did the tech bots know “a man suddenly pulled away”???) to the point of hilarity, it might actually make me depressed. After the jump, more targeted ad bull crap, on Facebook and Google.
I’m convinced that Facebook ads for women, outside of the ones targeted at personal interests (I do love yoga, wine, soap operas, wine, and puppies!), come in two categories:
1. Love/Dating/Relationship-Related: Dating sites and self help if you’re single, engagement rings and romantic vacation ads if you’re in a relationship, and weddings, weddings, weddings if you’re engaged. During the nine months I was engaged, my Facebook page was inundated with wedding ads, for photographers, locations, and even marriage counceling advice ads. Now that I’m single, it’s all online dating ads, self help loser nonsense. Aside from that social networking wine club. That sounds rad.
My Guy Friends Reported: No dating or romance related ads at all.
2. Dieting & Fitness: Thanks to Facebook, I cannot escape Acai Berries. Apparently they make you skinny! And apparently Facebook wants me to ingest them, in all their many forms, constantly. Why does Facebook think I (and Catherine and Annika) am fat? Nothing in my profile indicates an obsession with working out or a penchant for anorexia. In fact, my profile professes my love for cheese and cured meats. Catherine wonders if Facebook also uses some sort of special technology that can tell if your face is round or not.
My Guy Friends Reported: No fitness or weight loss ads at all, although one did get ads for braces and teeth whitening. This would indicate that Facebook does have some sort of visual component for ad targeting, and doesn’t just use keywords. I never thought his teeth were that bad…
Facebook isn’t alone in finding weaknesses and targeting ads that pick at them. Tracie Egan, who writes for Jezebel, wrote a post on her personal blog, One D At A Time, the other day about how she got in a fight over email with her fiance. All of the targeted sponsored links/ads for that particular email chain had to do with broken engagements and “stopping negative emotions.” Yikes, one fight and the relationship is dunzo? Thanks for the faith, Google. Anyway, I went back to a couple email exchanges with my ex to see what diagnosis Gmail gave my life as a result. See left! For the record, I do not f$#king need anger goddamn management, GOOGLE, so PISS OFF!!!
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shannac02
wrote on November 20 2008 @ 04:08 pm: [report]
On my Myspace, I have a banner seemingly permanently installed above my profile that says: “Overweight at 24?” in HUGE letters… Nice. Thank you. I need my social networking site to remind me that I need to hit the gym? Geez.
Mariabeth67
wrote on November 20 2008 @ 04:24 pm: [report]
Thats interesting, my facebook only gives me ads for “Dachshunds for Obama”
Humble Bee
wrote on November 20 2008 @ 04:39 pm: [report]
I thought I was crazy when the ads were sooo acurate to whatahell was going on. In one of my emails I mentioned to my friend that I hadn’t gotten my period, and BAM! Baby ads, Period ads, even diaper ads. I was starting to get kinda paranoid….
Lynn
wrote on November 21 2008 @ 12:20 am: [report]
I think it’s kind of fun to see what ads I get in Gmail. Once my cousins and I were emailing about going out that weekend, and suddenly we all had ads about where to pick up cougars. Gmail had us all pegged just a bit incorrectly. But they were spot-on with the ads to help me get rid of my beer gut!
Simcha
wrote on November 21 2008 @ 01:06 pm: [report]
@ Shannac02- F that! I’m larger (than life) and I refuse to let facebook make me feel bad about it. Besides, based on your avatar, you’re one hot piece, I’m sure! I doubt any of your bf’s have complained…
shannac02
wrote on November 21 2008 @ 01:09 pm: [report]
Thanks Simcha! You KNOW they haven’t!!! hahaha You totally boosted my ego! Yay!
amanda lynn
wrote on November 21 2008 @ 01:23 pm: [report]
i have ads on FB that say “pinecones. under glass. the need is real, the want is now”. i wonder about how that gets to me.
at least myspace knows to direct me to bette midler & broadway ads…
Kiki T
wrote on November 21 2008 @ 01:24 pm: [report]
I get mail to freeze my eggs!
Oliveira
wrote on November 22 2008 @ 03:40 am: [report]
On Facebook I am more often than not invited to join a certain dating site where tens of single women are waiting for me. What would I do with all those single women? Take them out to gay clubs? Honestly, that targeting could be improved—my facebook profile mentions I’m a man interested in men and my favourite application is Sexy Men of Color
honeyeab
wrote on November 24 2008 @ 06:26 pm: [report]
I had the same exact experience on FB. When I was engaged all I got were ads for photographers, weddings planner etc. A constant reminder of an engagement going very bad every time I logged on. When the engagement ended it was right back to the meet your soul mate and loose some weight ads. I only weigh 110 pounds. Oh, and I also get the freeze your eggs , Acai Berries ads.
It’s all in good humor to look at these when things are fine and they are just there to entertain, but when things are bad it does kind actually hurt.
JaxAtl
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 04:25 pm: [report]
As much fun as it is to announce your breakup via FB, if you don’t fill out that section (leave it blank, not single, not in a relationship), it avoids any ad targeting and additional social scenarios. My real friends know whether I’m dating someone else or not…the rest can stalk my pictures to find out.
Sabina
wrote on February 28 2009 @ 10:50 am: [report]
I sometimes feel like Facebook is a real life version of Gossip Girl (seriously!) I mean besides the ADS how many times did you see the pictures of he-who-shall-not-be-named in which you’ve personally BLOCKED suddenly magically APPEAR!