4 ms·

So this was about ads for Instagram on YouTube, targeting people under 18? I am surprised that this is something that has to be kept secret. What is the main p

by TekMol 2y ago

So this was about ads for Instagram on YouTube, targeting people under 18? I am surprised that this is something that has to be kept secret. What is the main problem with it?

esperent 2y ago
The main problem is that it's targeted advertising of children.
- brainwad 2y ago
  So is all the advertising run during morning cartoons, and that targets an even younger demo than 13-17 year olds.
  - piva00 2y ago
    Children can't interact with these ads to get into the wheel of more ads targeting their specific tastes. Very different level, and degree.
  - tgv 2y ago
    Those ads are bad, but instagram and its ilk are quite addictive. If don't think it's ok to turn a large group of children into screen zombies because "ads during cartoons".
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
  - kreyenborgi 2y ago
    And it's frankly disgusting that some countries allow such ads.
  - nope1000 2y ago
    Yes
  - meiraleal 2y ago
    What does wad mean? Dead?
dgellow 2y ago
> The project disregarded Google’s rules that prohibit personalising and targeting ads to under-18s, including serving ads based on demographics. It also has policies against the circumvention of its own guidelines, or “proxy targeting”.
Xen9 2y ago
Aside replying to the eroteme: I believe one can observe the targeting by only observing the children. I ALSO believe this applies to all children in a social network where X between 1 out of 100 000 & 9 out of 10 have access to sites that are the works of the corporate. The entirely new mechanics seems to be that most humans' will run on metaphorical stimulants & steroids on the metaphorical Wheel of Status. Humane behaviour (e.g. honor, respect, sincere curiosity) will become subject of learned helplessness. Before the child realizes that their toys are not the real things and the real things may be much more interesting; or before the child realizes they don't need to use the toys to satisfy X desires, they will have learned that status, EG pretty videos of using the toys, gets them what they want EG toys & attention from companies, parents & peers alike.
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate or link to a relevant source as this is rather interesting.
  - gU9x3u8XmQNG 2y ago
    Second this! Quite interesting. @Xen9 please follow up!
    - Xen9 2y ago
      My mind would be the source. This is actually one of my least confident comments; I was almost not going to post it. I consider putting a text together later. Regardless—I've observed, to one example, a young girl I know wanting to buy horse toys to make YouTube horse videos with play & interest in horses being a side motive. The adults are proud of her basically being an instrument of marketing. On one hand, making your own video's at young age is of course something to be proud of and encouragement for children sounds healthy. Yet this behaviour also has no principles outside "status games." Even knowing that girls of young age are particularly prone to socialization & conformity, one can compare this to "cool new toy everyone has" trope to notice that this dark evolution would be closer to "being a popular advertisement like everyone else" which partly the South Park movie Cred portrays aptly.
tgv 2y ago
Adolescents are particularly sensitive to addiction. And guess what instagram tries to do?
- doublerabbit 2y ago
  Is it to create a utopia of peace and harmony for those who live on this planet? No? I didn't think so either.
mrweasel 2y ago
The problem, at least in some countries, is that the laws regarding targeting children and teenagers are VERY strict, to the point where it almost doesn't make sense to do it. By having an "unknown" category, you could argue that you had no way of knowing that you where targeting children, so you can't be responsible. The other party could also easily argue that they put those under 18 in that group to protect their privacy and age. If you however DO know that these are primarily children and teenagers, then you have to follow the rather strict laws. In Denmark for instance, that means that you cannot encourage purchasing or even advertise certain products. Take the stupid product that is Prime (the drink), health professionals argues that it's harmful to children, but their are also the only ones who really buy it in any meaningful volume. If you knew that you where targeting Prime ads to those under 16 in Denmark, you would be breaking the law. If advertising companies where to follow the laws online (technically they have to, but tries to avoid it), you could effectively reduce the number of ads you see on social media by stating that you're only 16, because you couldn't be targeted in the same way.
- tantalor 2y ago
  > they put those under 18 in that group to protect their privacy and age That's not how it works!

by TekMol 2y ago

So this was about ads for Instagram on YouTube, targeting people under 18? I am surprised that this is something that has to be kept secret. What is the main problem with it?

esperent 2y ago

The main problem is that it's targeted advertising of children.

brainwad 2y ago
So is all the advertising run during morning cartoons, and that targets an even younger demo than 13-17 year olds.
- piva00 2y ago
  Children can't interact with these ads to get into the wheel of more ads targeting their specific tastes. Very different level, and degree.
- tgv 2y ago
  Those ads are bad, but instagram and its ilk are quite addictive. If don't think it's ok to turn a large group of children into screen zombies because "ads during cartoons".
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- kreyenborgi 2y ago
  And it's frankly disgusting that some countries allow such ads.
- nope1000 2y ago
  Yes
- meiraleal 2y ago
  What does wad mean? Dead?

dgellow 2y ago

> The project disregarded Google’s rules that prohibit personalising and targeting ads to under-18s, including serving ads based on demographics. It also has policies against the circumvention of its own guidelines, or “proxy targeting”.

Xen9 2y ago

Aside replying to the eroteme: I believe one can observe the targeting by only observing the children. I ALSO believe this applies to all children in a social network where X between 1 out of 100 000 & 9 out of 10 have access to sites that are the works of the corporate. The entirely new mechanics seems to be that most humans' will run on metaphorical stimulants & steroids on the metaphorical Wheel of Status. Humane behaviour (e.g. honor, respect, sincere curiosity) will become subject of learned helplessness. Before the child realizes that their toys are not the real things and the real things may be much more interesting; or before the child realizes they don't need to use the toys to satisfy X desires, they will have learned that status, EG pretty videos of using the toys, gets them what they want EG toys & attention from companies, parents & peers alike.

nonrandomstring 2y ago
I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate or link to a relevant source as this is rather interesting.
- gU9x3u8XmQNG 2y ago
  Second this! Quite interesting. @Xen9 please follow up!
  - Xen9 2y ago
    My mind would be the source. This is actually one of my least confident comments; I was almost not going to post it. I consider putting a text together later. Regardless—I've observed, to one example, a young girl I know wanting to buy horse toys to make YouTube horse videos with play & interest in horses being a side motive. The adults are proud of her basically being an instrument of marketing. On one hand, making your own video's at young age is of course something to be proud of and encouragement for children sounds healthy. Yet this behaviour also has no principles outside "status games." Even knowing that girls of young age are particularly prone to socialization & conformity, one can compare this to "cool new toy everyone has" trope to notice that this dark evolution would be closer to "being a popular advertisement like everyone else" which partly the South Park movie Cred portrays aptly.

tgv 2y ago

Adolescents are particularly sensitive to addiction. And guess what instagram tries to do?

doublerabbit 2y ago
Is it to create a utopia of peace and harmony for those who live on this planet? No? I didn't think so either.

mrweasel 2y ago

The problem, at least in some countries, is that the laws regarding targeting children and teenagers are VERY strict, to the point where it almost doesn't make sense to do it. By having an "unknown" category, you could argue that you had no way of knowing that you where targeting children, so you can't be responsible. The other party could also easily argue that they put those under 18 in that group to protect their privacy and age. If you however DO know that these are primarily children and teenagers, then you have to follow the rather strict laws. In Denmark for instance, that means that you cannot encourage purchasing or even advertise certain products. Take the stupid product that is Prime (the drink), health professionals argues that it's harmful to children, but their are also the only ones who really buy it in any meaningful volume. If you knew that you where targeting Prime ads to those under 16 in Denmark, you would be breaking the law. If advertising companies where to follow the laws online (technically they have to, but tries to avoid it), you could effectively reduce the number of ads you see on social media by stating that you're only 16, because you couldn't be targeted in the same way.

tantalor 2y ago
> they put those under 18 in that group to protect their privacy and age That's not how it works!