Targeted Ads Are Making Me Wonder Who the Internet Thinks I Am??

TOPICS:

Posted By: Zek

I have an odd issue going on, especially on Instagram and Reddit. There are some weird and wildly inaccurate ads following me around. Yes, targeted ads are how these sites make money, and I don’t begrudge their advertising. I do think they might need to tweak their algorithm because they’re a touch off in their assessment of me.

Here’s an assortment of targeted ads I’ve received on both Reddit and Instagram over the last few months (note that some are possibly NSFW, depending on your workplace):

Based on Reddit and Instagram, I’m apparently a cisgender man with wonky genitalia that doesn’t function correctly, and I’ve recently quit dip. I neglected to get screenshots for some of these, but Reddit also thinks I need to check my sperm count for fertility, and Instagram thinks I’m a short king who needs better-fitting t-shirts.

Note that on Instagram, I listed my gender as declined to share, and the vast majority of the accounts I follow are non-binary and transmasculine influencers. On Reddit, I mostly subscribe to subreddits about television shows, hockey (go Rangers!), and trans/LGBT/non-binary discussions.

To be clear: there’s no shame in any of these, but if companies are relying on Reddit and Instagram’s algorithms to find new audiences for generic Viagra … I’m not the target market. And I don’t need to visit a urologist to confirm I don’t have Peyronie’s disease. Admittedly, I’m 5’7″, so I believe that does qualify me for short king status; I’ll give them that, and I probably could use some new t-shirts too.

Does anyone else find themselves being served targeted ads that are wildly off-base? Why do Reddit and Instagram think I’m a cisgender man with performance issues? Is this because I’m a Rangers fan? If anyone has thoughts on this and how companies come up with these profiles, let us know in the comments!

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you are shopping on Amazon anyway, buying from our links gives Gear Diary a small commission.

About the Author

Zek
Zek has been a gadget fiend for a long time, going back to their first PDA (a Palm M100). They quickly went from researching what PDA to buy to following tech news closely and keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff. They love writing about ebooks because they combine their two favorite activities; reading anything and everything, and talking about fun new tech toys. What could be better?

3 Comments on "Targeted Ads Are Making Me Wonder Who the Internet Thinks I Am??"

  1. Jeffrey | January 27, 2023 at 4:18 am |

    Funny, I have this problem with facebook all the time.

  2. jenifergreenwell | January 27, 2023 at 3:59 pm |

    When I was living with my ex, he was always looking at Rolex watches on his phone (not like he could afford one) and I was getting targeted ads about these, too, on all my social media accounts. I have no interest, nor did I then have any interest in getting one.

  3. Liz Armstrong | February 7, 2023 at 11:46 am |

    I get a lot of off targeted ads. Some are so laughable.

Comments are closed.