Targeted Advertising

The use of targeted advertising by companies and search engines is a result of our lives becoming more centered on the internet than other advertising mediums. Being able to track and advertise to a consumer specifically is much more economical and efficient for companies than spending money on billboards and TV commercials that people may not see, but it is dangerous for the consumer.

            While it is just “business as usual” for companies, targeted advertising can be a very disturbing thing for consumers to be involved in. The scariest thing about being tracked online is its unbelievable accuracy, such as on YouTube during election campaigns there are advertisements specifically for your congressional districts. Regardless of the intent, it’s not a good feeling to know that there are databases out there that have information about your online viewing history, which could also be very personal. If the information from these companies gets hacked or sold to the wrong person, a person’s privacy could easily be compromised. Situations and potential mistakes such as these are why targeted advertising is dangerous to the everyday consumer. It’s not easy to be able to avoid being targeted, as just about everything that is sold in stores can be found cheaper online which makes the audience at risk even greater.

            Being targeted by online advertisers and potentially losing our sense of privacy is just a price that we as a society have paid in order to become more connected and more efficient. Buying products from Amazon and online just in general has become much cheaper and convenient as those packages can just be sent to our houses instead of having to go physically buy them. With technology also advancing to the stages where more and more people spend time online reading newspapers and watching TV shows instead of paying outrageous bills, it just makes it that much more appealing to spend time online. With fewer people watching TV and reading newspapers it just makes sense for companies to advertise more online through targeting consumers. By targeting and tracking people online it allows companies to get almost a sure thing by advertising only to people that are actually interested rather than just advertising to everyone like they do TV. While it’s just good business for them, it is a dangerous habit that really runs the risk of invading people’s privacy.    

            Targeted advertising is an evil that we as a society have brought on ourselves by spending more time online. Having our information tracked and saved puts our privacy at great risk without us even knowing.

           

Computers: For better or worse?

Whether we like it or not, computers make up a huge part of our everyday lives. Our use of computers are not only limited to laptops or desktop computers, but also in our smartphones and televisions. All of these forms of computers are so widely used; they can either made our lives better or even worse.

            There are numerous different aspects of our society that have been made significantly better due to the use of technology and more specifically computers. With the use of computers and its ability to have access to such a high volume of information through the internet, it has made it easier for the general public to search for information they previously wouldn’t have been exposed to. With people being able to gain accurate information on a topic so quickly, it has made our society as a whole more educated and more open to new ideas. Computers have also made it easier to get a formal education by creating access to online classes such as this one, and also being able to get degrees from online universities such as the University of Phoenix that can be earned while still working a job or raising a family. The use of computers has made our lives significantly better by allowing us to become better educated individuals through easily accessible means.

            While there are many good aspects of using technology and computers, there are also a few downsides to its use. One of the greatest results of increased technology has been the smartphone, which allows users to text, call, surf the web, play games and just about anything you can think of. The downside to this technology is that it has become such an important part of our lives, we feel like we have to check it periodically at all times, even if that means while we are driving down the highway. The use of cell phones behind the wheel has become such a big problem, that at least 23% of traffic accidents involve the use of a cell phone. While we as a society have become so enamored with the benefits of technology, sometimes we just need to think about the possible consequences.

            The impact that technology has had on our lives has become so enormous, that there is now literally no where we can go to escape it. Wherever we go we always have our cell phones, TVs, and computers so naturally our lives have become centered around it.

Link: http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/

Hi my name is Nick Clark, I’m from here in Hickory and I have lived here my entire life. I’m currently a sophomore and this is actually my third semester here at Lenoir-Rhyne. I am currently majoring in Accounting, which is actually the third different major I’ve declared. My experience with computers beyond using the internet and word processors is pretty basic as I’ve only just taken the required computer classes I’ve needed to graduate high school and now college. Based on my light dose of using different computer programs, I feel like my comfort level using programs like Excel will be good at first, but as we get more complicated I will have to focus more to learn the more specifics. The most recent computer class I took focusing mainly on programs such as Microsoft Excel was my freshman or sophomore year of high school. The most recent computer class I took was CSC 115 online here at Lenoir-Rhyne in the fall semester, where we just covered the basic computer operations since it was only a Mini-term course. In CSC 115 we covered the basic parts of computers, threats to computer systems, and how to write an APA style paper. Although that class didn’t deal with Microsoft programs I feel like it will help me some in this course because it gave me a chance to get used to an online course. My main goals for this course are to become proficient in Microsoft programs and also to be able to make an A while learning how I can use these programs in a variety of different work environments to illustrate many different ideas. While I am really only taking this class because it is required, I realize being proficient in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access are valuable skills I need to have in order to enter the real world. In my free time outside of going to school, I really enjoy being outdoors any time of the year. Some of favorite hobbies include hiking, hunting, and watching or playing any type of sport. In the spring and the summer months I mow grass and do landscaping work for several clients but that shouldn’t affect my ability to find time to do assignments for this class. I am really looking forward to this semester and particularly this course because it gives me the opportunity to learn and master a skill that I’m really not good at.