Beth just said something that gave me the heebie-jeebies, even though it’s something we already know, and unfortunately, are starting to accept.
Beth said, “You know what I just realized? Whenever we watch YouTube TV kids shows, all of the ads are super girly stuff. They totally know we have a daughter.”
They.
Remember in the good old days when we would have conversations about skiing and then ski gear would show up as an ad on our phone/computer/device? Do you remember when we transitioned from “wow that’s really weird…” to “are they listening to me?…” to “oh they’re listening good.”
That last part came after it became public knowledge that our mics and search history and everything about us was being turned into marketing and advertisement data.
This will be a short post. Re-read the end of The Social Dilemma where i discuss how to protect our families from becoming too attached to our devices. Also re-read The Social Dilemma part 2 and consider what we can do to protect ourselves and our families from advertisers. Be wary of what is happening to our children. They are growing up in a world where MY TV knows I have a girl and is targeting her before she can even walk. If that doesn’t scare you, at least a little bit, it should.
Be cautious about what we expose our kids to. Be cautious about what we post and share. Protect them.
I know in this world it’s impossible for “them” to not know I have a daughter by now. I know there’s only so much we can do. But what I can try to control is how she is influenced by their advances. I will do my best for my whole life to protect Ivy against targeted advertising and the influences of the media on her growing mind.
No Coincidences 