Sunday, October 31, 2010

$20 Thermos?


The other day in American Studies, Mr. Bolos mentioned a website that we could go to if we didn't want to see all the annoying ads that are omnipresent on every website on the Internet.  I was thinking about going to check it out, but the particular website is only usable on Google Chrome or Firefox, and my computer doesn't support either of those browsers.  The idea of ad-blocking made me think of a few weeks ago, when an ad on the side of the site had been helpful.

I was on my Facebook, like the typical teen who needs to procrastinate.  I was just scrolling through my News Feed when, on the side of the screen, there was an ad for a water bottle.  I had seen this water bottle before because my friend had one, and she had been trying to get me to buy one.  Unfortunately for her, the water bottle costs $20, and being a person who doesn't like to spend a lot of money, I just laughed at the thought of spending so much on a water bottle.  I already have perfectly good water bottles at home, ones that only cost $5.  But for some reason, when I saw the ad on the side of the screen, I decided to click on it.

The link sent me to a page on Target.com.  And what do you know, I got hooked on the water bottle and bought one.  It is now the only thing I use. I put ice water in it before bed, and when I wake up in the morning, there is still ice!  It's incredible.  And here I am, someone who always complains about the ads I see everywhere, but for once, they did what they were supposed to do and encouraged me to buy a product.
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2 comments:

  1. Kristen O.November 7, 2010 at 1:08 PM

    Carolyn,
    It's so nice to finally hear about how advertisements can sometimes actually be helpful! I remember that we also discussed in class how advertisements can be custom fitted to you, especially on websites like Facebook. Many people thought of that as an invasion of privacy, but in some cases, like yours, it is actually helpful, and I think that people should notice that too.

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  2. DavidNovember 7, 2010 at 2:11 PM

    This is exactly the kind of thing that the advertisers want. So, while it is nice to hear something good about them, I almost see it as a trap. Normally I see advertising as a ploy to get people to buy things that they don't need. However, sometimes they can be useful for people to buy something that they really DO need. So, in my opinion, advertisements are annoying and shouldn't be payed attention to. While there are some redeeming qualities, we just have to see through the idea that they can help you and realize that the companies just want to make money, which is their job. I would be very happy blocking ads.

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