I think one of the main reasons is that targeted ads tend to show products you already know (whether you already own them, researched them, or just because you

I think one of the main reasons is that targeted ads tend to show products you already know (whether you already own them, researched them, or just because you are interested in the subject). Then visual recognition (picture or name of the product) occurs and your focus shifts to the ad for a moment --- when you can just unconsciously ignore just 97-98% of the ads you see on the Internet or on the street. And we all know how annoying commercial crap can be when you are not looking to buy anything Another thing that applies to older generations and educated people among younger ones (I don't think the young masses understand this or care about it) is the privacy invasion argument. I'll add that, since most people hate ads altogether, adding just a little annoyance to them can seem like just pushing it too far. I think the only places where ads are not hated are subway stations, since waiting in gloomy underground tunnels (most of those in Paris are, anyway) can be a bit depressing