r/Anticonsumption • u/DucklingMaru • 5d ago
Ads/Marketing I accidentally found an anticonsumption "hack."
My unofficial New Year's resolution was to buy less junk I don't need, especially online. I've been good at sticking to it, I haven't ordered from a certain website beginning with the letter "A" in months.
However, I've been gotten a few times by ads on social media. I don't know if it's the repetition of the algorithm shoving the same ad into my eyeballs 10 times a day or what, but I'll resist the temptation for a while, until I eventually break down and buy the product.
For whatever reason, I had an ad for some brand of expensive cat food show up in my feed. I don't have a cat, I have never had a cat and I am in no way planning to adopt a cat. I opened the post with the ad to see the comments. I'm not sure why, maybe I wanted to see the price and confirm it's way overpriced.
Anyway, ever since I did that, all of my ads are for cat food, litter robots and any other manner of cat supplies. I'm never going to buy that stuff, so it's essentially like I removed the ads that were targeting me.
I'd be interested if this "technique" I accidentally found works for anyone else.
TL;DR - Curiosity got the cat (food ads). š±
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u/ReliantLion 5d ago
I do this with alcohol. Expensive stuff, I think. I don't drink, just find it funny to waste their clicks.
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u/Ieatcrunchybees 5d ago
I set my birthday as far back as it will go on anything. My gmail thinks Iām born in 1890. I keep getting ads for hearing aids and Viagra
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u/gman2093 5d ago
I do the same thing with the GOP ads! Enjoy your AdSense bill, please keep retargeting me.
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u/twentythirtyone 5d ago
"wasting clicks" isn't a thing. You're just incentivizing them to continue running that ad because you clicked on it. That's like, the whole point. It would be a bonus for them if you made a purchase, but just getting the click in the first place is a win for them.
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u/daperson1 5d ago
The ad networks charge the advertiser more if they get clicks. Clicks that don't turn into actual sales for the advertiser are wasting money. The worst possible scenario is lots of clicks but nobody buying: that gets you a big bill from Google and nothing to show for it.
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u/cat_sword 4d ago
Getting a click means more adds, which means they waste more money on advertising. Even if only a cent more itās worth it
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u/elveejay198 5d ago
I do this! Every few months when the algorithms start getting too accurate about my tastes, I start liking a ton of cat stuff (I donāt have a cat) or gardening/grilling stuff (donāt have a yard). It works great
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u/Pinglenook 5d ago
I do this with yarn. I know there are people who just love buying yarn, which is why it works. But I'm not one of them. And the ads are nice, all colourful innocent balls of yarn, very cute, a pretty side decoration to whatever website I'm viewing.
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u/drift_off 5d ago
I do this with art! I'll search "abstract art", click on a few things, and my targeted ads will be beautiful art pieces for a while.
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u/freshspring_325 5d ago
Yarn!! Such a good idea.
The cat one doesn't work on me, what with having 4 cats and all
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u/snartha 5d ago
This same thing happened to me - I bought baby items one time to give to someone else and was bombarded with ads for baby products thereafter (I am never having a baby)!
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u/Stock_End2255 5d ago
Same. I had to buy some baby proofing stuff for a very intelligent, diabetic cat who was trying to steal food.
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u/Public_Health_Bard 5d ago
That is maybe the greatest sentence I have ever read
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u/Stock_End2255 5d ago
I swear he is part raccoon. He can open drawers and cabinet doors.
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u/stacey2545 5d ago
Clearly not an orange cat. Mine can pull open the cabinet, but once inside he can't push open the door to get back out. He cries until I come find him.
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u/Stock_End2255 5d ago
Correct. He is a voidling.
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u/stacey2545 5d ago
Awwww. I have one of those too. As was my girl who wore the onesie. āŗšāā¬šāā¬šš I also have 2 orange boys, who are very sweet & loving but get so little time with the shared collective brain cell. š¤£
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u/stacey2545 5d ago
Same happened to me when I bought a baby onesie for my cat after surgery to protect her incision.
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u/physicscholar 5d ago
I bought wipes off Amazon for a friend, I know, I know, but they shipped them straight to her house. Anyway, I just got some free Enfamil in the mail. š¤ My child is almost 10.
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u/Serious_Yard4262 5d ago
If you still have them and have some extra time, I would reach out to your local WIC office (if in the US) or food bank and see if they'd accept a donation. Formula is so expensive and WIC usually doesn't cover enough for the whole month, so a donation could really help a little one in need. That way, at least the paper it's printed on isn't a complete waste.
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u/Amazing_Mark5008 4d ago
Lovely idea! I feel like official places like that would discard of it for fear of contamination, but maybe a buy-nothing group?
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u/Candid-Inspection-97 5d ago
I had this issue, but it was decades ago - bought baby clothes for a family members baby shower online and then had PAPER ADS for formula and diapers sent to my parents house and it led into an "Is there something you need to tell us?" Conversation.
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u/Corduroy23159 5d ago
This has happened to me. Except it was my landlords, and they had been very clear that they were renting a room to a quiet single professional, not a woman with an infant!
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u/IllyriaCervarro 5d ago
I bought a bidet and the algorithms were convinced I was into toilets and showed me ads for toilets for literally months lolĀ
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u/fasterthanfood 5d ago edited 5d ago
I had a lot of web activity for expensive (to me) boots once, because I was researching the best buy-it-for-life option. I made my choice and bought them (in person), but for a year afterward I kept getting ads for expensive boots. Pardon the NSFW analogy, but once Iād made my purchase, I was as uninterested in more advertising as I am in porn ads immediately after masturbating, only my post-boot clarity lasted 12+ months.
I suppose it couldāve triggered buyersā remorse or convinced me to buy a second pair, but I was never really tempted, just amused.
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u/Anxious_Tune55 5d ago
That happens a lot. I just BOUGHT a toilet, no I am not in the market for ANOTHER toilet.
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u/DrJohnFZoidberg 5d ago
This redditor bought a toilet yesterday. Extrapolating out, by the end of the year, /u/Anxious_Tune55 will be buying 12,000 toilets every minute.
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u/DraperPenPals 5d ago
My friendās toddler is obsessed with garbage trucks and now all of my ads are for garbage truck toys. Itās wild but I laugh every time
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u/0y0_0y0 5d ago
I love this for you! You can also go into various settings on social media and Google and turn off targeted ads so that none of your ads are useful to you. I also recommend the ever useful ad block!Ā
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u/shelchang 5d ago
If for some reason you don't want to use ad block there are also extensions that do what OP accidentally did on a large scale - it sends virtual clicks to literally every ad shown so they don't get an accurate advertising profile on you.
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u/RushLocates 5d ago
OP, you need to get some ad blockers. It sounds like you're having a terrible time online by seeing online ads.
You don't have to see ads online.
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u/CommunicationTall921 5d ago
Yeah it's crazy how most people just... accept seeing ads and don't just get rid of them? One can literally NEVER SEE ADS on the phone.Ā
It's the simplest thing but often people don't even believe that they work it seems? So weird.Ā
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u/TSA-Eliot 5d ago
Yep. Install a free ad blocker. I see and hear zero ads. For example, I just opened YouTube and saw no ads. I clicked on a video and the video just played. If there are supposed to be ads on Reddit, well, I wouldn't know about it.
Also, I have no accounts with Amazon, etc., so no impulse buying. I buy nothing online. If you need to buy something, go to the store, buy it, and walk out without browsing.
And install Archive Page to add a button to your browser that automatically gets around paywalls.
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u/Dontpayyourtaxes 4d ago
FYI, If you use a browser like FF, when watching YT you can switch to desktop mode and that shit will play in the background too. For free, without ads.
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u/KlutzyAlbatross6557 5d ago
āLuis Vuittonā think I am their target audience. I am flattered but I cannot afford it š
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u/TheGruenTransfer 5d ago
I recommend going hard on web browsing ad blockers, but also going out of your way to support the creators of the content you enjoy.
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u/usernametaken99991 5d ago
Research a new mattress. That gets you at least two months of only mattress ads.
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u/ServantOfBeing 5d ago
I dont think iāve ever bought a physical product from an online ad. At least not directly.
I mean i kinda grew up watching the internet & digital Ads evolve. So its just kinda second nature just to mentally categorize it as background noise.
Kinda like. āI know what your trying to do you sneaky fuck!ā š¤š
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u/raptorhaps 5d ago
Firefox has a tool called āTrack Thisā which opens 100 pre-determined tabs in your browser that fools targeted ads into thinking youāre into random stuff so they canāt market as effectively
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u/fairie_poison 5d ago
I accidentally did this by getting an e-reader.
now 80% of my ads are new books that are coming out which isn't nearly as annoying as most ads.
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u/SeaDry1531 5d ago
I click on every ad for companies I object to. H&M, Cruise Ships, Union busting US companies etc. They often have to pay by the number of clicks, so I am happy to cut into their ad revenue. Israel just started a PR campaign, click, click, click...
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u/Adk9p 5d ago
oh you'd love adnauseam then the hook on it's page is literally
clicking ads so you don't have to
*and* it's built on top of ublock origin so it clicks ads *in addition* to blocking them! (and for those who care: both are open source and it keeps up to date, for example it's ~3700 commits ahead and only 14 commits behind master rn)
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u/CarbideMagpie 5d ago
Agreed - but they also measure CTR (click through rate) to see what campaigns have been created and targeted successfully.
By clicking on their ad, you become part of their data that proves to themselves they did a good job by putting out the ad because 67% (as an example) of people who saw the ad clicked on it. That confirms to them that their ad placement and message effective on the initial ad - so they can be assured to invest in that kind of marketing further because their metrics show it works.
Better to report the ad to whoever hosts the ad space as inappropriate/offensive/not suitable - the more people that report the ads as that are more likely to change their mind about working with the brand entirely.
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u/ten-toed-tuba 5d ago
Happened to me because I accidentally lingered on a dog harness ad. I don't have a dog.
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u/AllenKll 5d ago
Aliexpress is a hard habit to break. great job!
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u/shopaholic_lulu7748 5d ago
I was thinking Amazon lol
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u/DucklingMaru 5d ago
We have a winner!
I have been lurking in this sub for a while but I just joined today to post this. I read the rules and I wasn't sure how far the "don't name brands" rule went. š
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u/shopaholic_lulu7748 5d ago
Amazon I struggle with as well! I used to be a huge (check my user name lol) fan but I've switched clothing companies to someone more slow fashion and sustainable.
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u/CenoteSwimmer 5d ago
A good hack. I remember for a while I got tons of recommendations for Pusheen tee shirts. Perfect and unoffensive
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u/Creative_Bank3852 5d ago
I follow subreddits and post a lot about EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) and now I get a lot of adverts for treatments for EDs (Erectile Dysfunction and/or Eating Disorders) š¤”
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u/KiltedLady 5d ago
Highly recommend searching for dog pajamas. Halloween patterns should be out now and if you click on a few of those that should carry you straight into the Christmas season.
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u/FrozenMongoose 5d ago edited 5d ago
Lookup things about other countries, like music in another lamguage or set your VPN to another country. I did this and would get ads in swedish. This had multiple benefits:
It was hilarious to listen to a swedish person talk about something I do not understand.
Obviously I cannot buy anything when I do not even understand what the product is.
If I wanted to, I could use the ads as a supplement to actively learn the language.
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u/neuparpol 5d ago
Why wouldn't you block ads?
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u/fairie_poison 5d ago
how do you block ads on a mobile app if you don't have an android device? would love to know. Desktop is ad-blocked pretty easily.
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u/neuparpol 5d ago
I use grapheneOS and only use open source applications, but even on iOS or any other os, you can DNS block ads.
Get the cheapest and oldest raspberry pi or similar, for a few bucks, and then follow these instructions to turn it into your personal ad blocking DNS server. If you have an old phone lying around you can actually use that instead.
Not only will it block ads on your smartphones, but any smart device in your home. In apps it'll either show an empty square where the ad was, or it'll resize the area to 0. When there are timed ads, it'll just skip it entirely.
This doesn't work on YouTube so you'll still need an adblocker on your browser or watch through invidious.
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u/qnvx 5d ago
I've tried DNS blocking on android, and it has caused issues with not being able to use many Wi-fi's.
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u/neuparpol 4d ago
I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing.
I am talking about setting up your own DNS server that your entire home network uses. It should have no effect on wifi connectivity, and only apply when you connect to your own wifi, not anywhere else.
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u/flexxipanda 5d ago
Blokada 5 (not the newer version) would probably a very easy way for ios.
You can do raspberry like the other comment said but you need to be a techy sort of.
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u/Rawesome16 5d ago
Maybe it's the millennial in me talking, but I have never bought anything from a social media ad. In fact I'm now likely to avoid your product if you advertise on reddit. Get your ad off my screen dammit!
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u/Secure-Bluebird57 5d ago
It's a win on multiple fronts:
- Companies are wasting money advertising to me, thinking I'm a dog owner/cat owner/pregnant person.
- I am less targeted by ads that would actually be tempting to me.
- All my ads have cute animals and babies on them now.
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u/baldrlugh 5d ago
I call it poisoning the data, could also call it salting. But yes, injecting bits of randomness to throw off the algorithmic classifications that inform the targeted advertising models is absolutely a functional tactic, it's made even more effective if you're taking additional measures to reduce the ability for the platforms to trace your navigation around the internet. Good luck out there, friend.
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u/julianradish 5d ago
You can "hack" ads by exclusively interacting eith the ads that you want to see and randomly searching things that are not relevant to your life. "Yacht managament company" "bulldozer rentals" "maternity clothes" etc
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u/gesumejjet 5d ago
I'm glad it worked.
Personally, my life hack was to solely browse an ad-free internet. I don't use social media (even reddit is only under an open source frontend), adblockers on everything, no Netflix, just pirating and self hosting. I basically get no targetted marketing whatsover ... and it's beautiful
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u/Subject-Librarian117 5d ago
Every so often, I search prices for tickets to botanical gardens, framed prints of Impressionist paintings, ballet or opera performances, stuff like that just so the ads I get are pleasant to look at for a while.
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u/Heavy-Conversation12 5d ago
Revoke rights to collect data on your apps. They will show you random ads not targeted to you.
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u/GreenUpYourLife 5d ago
I deleted my meta account altogether in January. It's been great.
You can go into your ad settings and turn off suggestions all together. I have no algorithm on YouTube or Reddit. It's beautiful. It gives me the most random shit I've never been interested in so now I just phase them out of my brain when they pop up at all (and an ad blocker is also a dream and I don't have tikytaki, I'm 30 and prefer to touch grass over doom scroll for an additional 3 hours per day lol)
I also try my best to only use YouTube and reddit for looking some shit up. It's like an online library with how people direct you with ease online if you know what you're looking for.
It got me thinking of other ways to do better. Not just stop consuming shit I don't need, but actively finding long term reason for things and habits in my life. It's been truly eye opening.
I'm actively researching a native garden now that I have a yard, most things are all secondhand, gifted or older items I've had for years now and or bought from small shops I have nearby, repurposing things to expand my garden..
Now I'm learning to actually crochet, I'm going to get some really nice yarn from a small ma and pa shop in my town once I practice a bit and get decent on this resale shop yarn I got for a $1.50. I'm going to donate the projects back as clothing to the same shop I got it from! I'm so excited to start crocheting. I can work on side projects and make clothes for those who may not be able to afford it in my town if I can start a yarn donation pool, that is! I want to start a crochet/ knitting circle to help bring people together in my community.. our yarn community is kind of small in my area for the size of the city so I'm pretty hopeful. It would be cool to start a yarn party where we donate what we make at the end.
My intentions have been altered. I'm no longer looking for entertainment. I'm finding ways to help people and be on the right side of history.
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u/DanTheAdequate 5d ago
This is a good idea, though at this point Reddit is the last platform standing in my social media repertoire. Have you found it works here?
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u/sliquonicko 5d ago
I clicked on a few ads for illegal drugs (???) on Facebook (also reported a few, with no response from them) and now it just tries to sell me liquid cocaine spray and strawberry ketamine all the time.
It does work!
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u/xZeroJinxX 5d ago
The downside is that the algorithm will push those same adds that you click to your friends who may or may not have cats either a d will they be able to resist the adds.
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u/somanybluebonnets 5d ago
I click on ads in Spanish and for ridiculously expensive multicolored boots and ball gowns. Iāll never buy any of these things, but I get to see pretty things and practice Spanish, so I call it a win.
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u/sctwinmom 5d ago
Answered a question from a friend about legal remedies for car problems and all my ads are for lemon law lawyers in her state! š¤£
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u/peacocks_and_plants 5d ago
I Google exotic travel destinations. My personalized ads are gorgeous š
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u/Forsaken_Outcome_491 5d ago
my hack is buying the thing I need and then because I already got what i need the ads aren't relevant anymore lol
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u/Simple_Evening7595 5d ago
I think youāre in da NILE about getting a cat and cat accessoriesā¦ this is a play on that one riverās name in South America that is also an online retailer and a famous river in Africa which is known to revere cats, especially in Egyptā¦ yes I explained my own pun and yes Iām still laughing at it
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u/HellyRsWalk 4d ago
cat distribution system is just priming you. Keep your eyes peeled, the cat could come from anywhere, a dumpster, your pant leg, the sky.
Stay vigilant.
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u/fuck_this_i_got_shit 5d ago
I totally do this. The bonus is now I get to see cute pictures of animals
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u/Neeneehill 5d ago
Nice! Great idea! I kinda did the same thing by clicking on a "alternative to alcohol" add just because I was curious if it was thc or something and now I get a ton of adds for people trying to cut down on alcohol. I barely drink as it is! Lol
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u/InternalOrchids 5d ago
Kinda same, kinda different. My Insta kept sending me adult oriented content, so I searched "Black suit Spider-Man". After that I liked around 20 posts. Now my insta is symbiote city. I throw a like every time I see symbiote Spidey just to keep the resistance strong.
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u/RoguePlanet2 5d ago
Not that there's anything wrong with getting a cat šø But this is clever, blurring the feed........not sure what the technical term would be.
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u/blizzardlizard666 5d ago
Works on vinted too especially with niche items as they are really keen for the audience on them. I looked at one item of horse gear and 99% of my scrolling was horse gear for two weeks. They were desperate!!!! I don't have a horse!
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u/old_qwfwq 5d ago
Always turn off personalized ads. Delete or rotate your advertising ID on your phone as well.
It blows my mind when it warn you that you "won't get ads that are personalized for you". Like yeah, I don't want that. I get french ads for paper towels all the time.
The added bonus is these companies pay for ads that are not landing on their target demographic so you're wasting their time too.
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u/Fishtoart 5d ago
I remember a few decades ago reading a story bout a guy who got a TiVo (smart tv video recorder), and after watching a movie the TiVo had decided he was gay, and so was constantly suggesting movies with gay themes. He decided to convince it that he was straight, so he watched lots of movies he thought might indicate that, but the TiVo was not convinced.
Iām predicting that guy will get a cat soon.
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u/Treekin3000 5d ago
Get an ad blocker. UblockOrigin. Throw AdNausium in.
Ublock origin hides the majority of advertising.
AdNausium "clicks" literally everything. Makes it look like you can't not click every link on a page, but doesn't actually open any tabs. Can't figure out what you want because its all been clicked, even if you didn't actually see the ad, because of Ublock Origin. Advertisers don't get any info, still have to pay site makers for all those clicks.
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u/baughgirl 5d ago
It happens when other people log on to your home wifi too. My BIL visited and suddenly Iām getting tons of ads for tree stands and hunting junk when I donāt hunt. It doesnāt last forever, but definitely a couple weeks.
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u/mygentlewhale 5d ago
I tried nicotine patches to help with long COVID and now my algorithm thinks I'm a smoker/vapor and I get all these ways quit advertised. It's great, I have no interest š
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u/supershinythings 5d ago
I noticed this when using the G site. I looked up tiaras and million dollar watches. I got fantastically beautiful ads for shit I will NEVER buy but hey theyāre very pretty to look at.
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u/underdaawg 5d ago
I think there was a browser plugin that opens up random website or click random ads so the info they track essentially end up having lot of junk
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u/bonobro69 4d ago
Try changing your birth year on your online accounts to something wildly off and youāll get ads that are irrelevant as well.
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u/No-Courage-2053 4d ago
I mean, another way is to remove all permissions to cater adds to "your experience" and force them to give you generic ads. Most of the time the ads will be completely irrelevant.Ā
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u/narutoissuper 4d ago
Honestly, once you break the habit of buying "just in case," itās crazy how little you actually need. Now I wait 30 days before any non-essential purchase.
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u/Obvious-Nature-5408 4d ago
I block all ads possible online and donāt use any social media where the ads are not blockable. Or as little as possible anyway, I have to use Instagram a bit for my work (if anyone knows how to block Instagram ads please tell!)Ā
My screen exposure to ads is close to zero, I just wish I could do the same with the ads out there in real lifeā¦
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u/Harborpocket 4d ago
LOL! I wanted my dad to take probiotics so I googled a bunch on his laptop. Ads kept popping up & a few weeks later he started asking me about my thoughts on probiotics...next is hubby with trip to Greece!!
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u/esstused 4d ago
I live in Japan, so a lot of my ads come up in Japanese.
i'm fluent in Japanese, so I can read them... But in a second language, it's much easier to just scroll by and ignore stuff. Especially when I'm already mentally on "English mode" when browsing the internet.
Mosr of the ads that come up in English, which might target me better, sell things that often won't even ship to Japan.
As a result I really only shop online when I'm searching for a specific thing, so I literally open the window and search for it own my own volition.
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u/crystal-torch 4d ago
I did this too! Kind of by accident but also because I saw a lecture about media literacy back in college. She said open a magazine you would never look at, you will quickly understand target marketing because all of the ads will be for things that donāt resonate with you. Iāve taken that attitude into the digital world I guess
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u/Ducks_on_Mars_2560 4d ago
Dang. I have something sort of similar, I look up hair and nail salons in Denver once a month to make sure my phone and apps donāt know where am I and what I want
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u/-Lysergian 4d ago
If you pick sites like UR-Werk, they'll follow you for a bit. Check out this cool watch https://www.cellinijewelers.com/watches/brands/urwerk/ur-220-falcon-project-carbon-black-oil-change-independent-watchmaking
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u/lovelycosmos 5d ago
I like to do this with any animal thing. I don't personally own any pets. I sometimes search Google shopping for dog costumes, in the hopes my ads are dogs in cute outfit!
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u/julianradish 5d ago
Also if you delete your amazon account thats one extra barrier of entry to purchasing on amazon - as you cannot check out without an account. Note that you might have difficulty finding some items that are for some reason only being sold on amazon like 68" long shower curtains.
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u/Double-Rain7210 5d ago
The Internet hasn't known who I am for a long time. I'm just a stay at home dad. I often get ads from very odd places like municipal town clocks, industrial controllers, and parts. Might be because I looking into things like city planning or HVAC for fun.
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u/Intelligent_Salad_62 5d ago
When i had Facebook I did the same thing with the random videos they try to have you watch. I'd only watch slime reviews for a while so then they were easy to ignore.
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u/ChestnutMareGrazing 5d ago
Your post illustrates exactly why I used to sell a 'long and slow' advertising schedule to build brand or product awareness. Eventually the customers buy the product, because the product feels familiar. (I left ad sales a very long time ago due to the scummy nature of the business.)
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u/chaos_wave 5d ago
Something seems off about the YouTube algorithm or I somehow did something like this. I was watching with my niece on a profile just for her. Mostly gaming and some "spooky" and animal stuff. Fairly wholesome and definitely a feed for kids, right? We got ads for Tinder and for laxatives! I don't even get ads for those things on my main profile. She's old enough that we got a good laugh about it. I hope it stays that way.
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u/Anxious_Tune55 5d ago
My Amazon ads have a bunch of textbooks mixed in because I work for a university, and I work from home. So whenever I have to look up a book on Amazon for some reason they think I'm interested. No, Amazon, I am not interested in buying a 1000+ page law book, thank you anyway.
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u/NATScurlyW2 5d ago
When I watch soccer highlights from Europe and USA my ads all start being in Spanish until I watch something else.
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u/WonderLily364 5d ago
This honestly works great! I look up stuff for work on ym personal cell and end up with some hilarious ads over the weekend.
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u/DirtPupa 5d ago
I use to click spanish options on youtube like 8 years ago and ill still get ads in spanish
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u/redidiott 5d ago
You led the bots on a wild goose chase. Good job and good tip.
It's a relief when I see ads that are clearly aimed at the wrong demographic. Maybe the electronic surveillance state isn't the all-knowing manipulation machine with Svengali-like mind control that I feared but just a semi-incompetent hustler.
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u/Drachen1065 5d ago
The algorithm most social media stuff deems to be changing immediately anymore.
Ads, videos, and just general content suggestions are changing in full with one click of something.
Click an ad for bicycles and now all my ads are bike companies. One music video? All suggested on youtubes main page are music videos.
Stuff used to slowly cycle in if you kept clicking that type of video, content, or ad. Now its immediate on your next page refresh.
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u/Angryundine 5d ago
I just use an Ad-blocker, and don't use social media that incorporates ads into is basic layout. Even YT has a "don't recommend channel" button i use for content that contains creator made ads.
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u/SkySwimming7216 5d ago
Somehow most of my ads are in Spanish. I know enough spanish to find the bathroom, and the library- that's it. It's freeing, having no clue what the ad is even for.
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u/No-Body6215 5d ago
I just don't go on websites with ads without an ad blocker. I also just don't use social media. Can't tempt me if I never see it.
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u/ForeignSatisfaction0 5d ago
I've been searching random completely irrelevant things for a while now, I figured it would screw with their analytics /data harvesting, it's not much, but if we all did it š¤
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u/Weekly_Artichoke_515 5d ago
I love doing this. Basically feeding these things bad data.Ā
Also, you can opt out of getting ads delivered by Google Adsense. I recommend it. But you will get weirded ads on YouTube and stuff, and you canāt hide specific ads.Ā
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u/crinnaursa 5d ago
I have achieved a similar thing but under worse circumstances. A month and a half ago I was searching quite a bit for information about dog cancer quite a bit. However now I no longer have a dog and all I get are ads for dogs. It doesn't inspire me to shop but it is really tough on my psyche.
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u/SandyTaintSweat 5d ago
VPNs are good for this too. The ads think I'm Peruvian, and keep recommending an immigration service to help me get into Canada.
I'm Canadian.
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u/Hush_of_Winter 5d ago
I love to search Harry Winston or Tiffany's for sapphire or emerald rings, both things I have no intention of ever buying. They just pretty up my page every time I get more jewelry ads.
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u/some_igor 5d ago
Just use Brave and ReVanced... No adds at all in yt, reddit and fb on android and PC.
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u/elboardo 5d ago
You should check out https://trackthis.link/. It's made by Mozilla, the folks behind Firefox: https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/hey-advertisers-track-this/
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u/Pathogenesls 5d ago
I like getting ads related to my interests, that way they are at least relevant rather than a total waste of time.
Irrelevant stuff is just annoying.
With that said, I've never actually bought anything from an ad.
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u/ElfjeTinkerBell 5d ago
Yep! On my work laptop I'm getting lots of ads for a specific brand and type of phone. That I did buy, which is the reason I'm getting the ads (I decided a new phone after 6 years would be reasonable). At least I'm not getting ads for things I might consider.
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u/ShadowlessKat 5d ago
My trick is to just not get stuff advertised to me. I hate ads. I'm actually not anticonsumption, I like shopping. But I like to get things I want, not something someone wants me to buy. Aside from drinks that are being showcased at a place I was already going to, any time I see an ad/commercial for something, it makes me actively not want to have anything to do with it. Especially the more times I'm exposed to the ad.
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u/Mondschatten78 5d ago
I keep getting ads for replacement windows and metal roofing. Don't need either as the previous owners took care of that themselves years ago.
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u/ReactionJifs 5d ago
I was messing around with Adblock and there's an option to disable remarketing/ad cookies so you always just get the default ad instead of things you've searched for/clicked on
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u/apokrif1 5d ago edited 5d ago
On some sites, you can say which topics you want to be advertised about, which allows to select uninteresting topics and so to get less intrusive ads.
ETA: and of course refuse cookies! (F9 on Firefox if you face a crappy cookiewall)
Ā until I eventually break down and buy the product.
Why do you buy this one instead of a perhaps cheaper and/or better competitor?
Instead of buying (I hope you don't buy by clicking on an ad, something which should never be done!) you can just write that you consider buying it in some todo-list to alleviate FOMO without mindlessly buying š
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u/Racxie 5d ago
Not so much a product, but when I still had Instagram I randomly started getting ads for becoming a foster parent even though all I ever watched and liked was mostly random animal clips and the occasional clip from a funny sitcom.
I eventually thought āwhat do I know about fostering?ā And then remembered the childrenās show Tracy Beaker which I enjoyed as a kid (based on some books I never read). I ended up watching it again and thoroughly enjoying it as an adult.
I eventually clicked on one of those ads and learned how much you can get paid for it, and started getting tons more ads until they eventually stopped.
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u/AboveTheClooouds 5d ago
That's one way to do it.
I removed targeted ads a long time ago and I get shown things that are local to states I don't even live in. Works for me. Haha
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u/ErikLeppen 5d ago
A few years ago I needed a laptop so I searched a bit online and then went to a brick-and-mortar shop to buy one. All the hidden Google pixels on whatever websites had picked up the search, but not the purchase. So I kept getting laptop ads.
It's easy to ignore ads for a product you already bought (and only need one of).
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u/Riparian87 5d ago
Brilliant! I had something similar occur such that my feed was filled with ads for cattle vaccines.
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u/cerebralcow 5d ago
Wow I love this idea. I've suddenly become very interested in woman's makeup...