Why is the Internet full of pointless ads – and what can we do about it?

These days, it’s strenuous to spend any time on the internet without being inundated with ads.

In Australia alone, online advertising has grown by 9.3% this year, reaching currently worth over AUD 3.7 billion. That’s a lot more pop-ups and promotions in our daily lives — and as data scientists and marketers chase more short-term sales goals, there’s sure to be more of them.

Not all ads are bad – especially if they save you money and are targeted to your interests. But you may have noticed, as you scroll through social media or read the news online lately, that the ads you see are often impersonal and irrelevant to your interests. Sometimes they are also perilous, promoting harmful and illegal medical products.

All of this contradicts the common assumption that technological advances combined with increased collection of personal data will lead to a better online experience for people. Instead, online advertising seems to be worsening people’s online experiences. So why is this happening? And can anything be done about it?

Annoying ads

People are more willing to engage with online advertising if it is personalized and relevant to them. Not surprisingly, the opposite is also true: people believe that general display and annoying pop-up ads targeted at a mass audience. These types of ads are so irritating that they often cause people to leave the website.

This adversely affects not only the user experience online, but also the business.

Yet irrelevant advertising is widespread on the Internet. For example, 2022 study found that almost a third of ads on Facebook were irrelevant, despite the platform’s intensive user profiling system.

Another reason ads are annoying is that they can invade our personal space on social media and threaten our privacy if they are too personalized. Do I want people looking over my shoulder at the screen to know that I am slowly losing my hair?

People express psychological property their Facebook and Instagram accounts, even though in reality they – the users – are a productThey find personalized ads invasive and generalized banner advertising intrusive.

But these effects can be reduced if consumer privacy is respected. And if people have the option to choose whether or not to receive ads, research shows personalized advertising will be effective.

Imagine receiving personalized ads about your favorite musician’s latest tour – and being able to opt out after purchasing concert tickets.

The problem is that many social media sites do not have an opt-out clause.

What causes the flood of irritating ads?

One of the main reasons for the flood of junk ads is that almost all online advertising is now automated. For example, in the United States, 90% of banner adspop-ups and other digital display ads are automated.

Often called “programmatic advertising,” these ads are automatically placed on websites and social media channels without human intervention. The total spend on these ads He grew from $4.99 billion in 2013 to $156.8 billion today.

The basis for displaying ads can be contextual (something related to what you are viewing) or behavioral (related to your browsing history and search terms).

Without detailed consumer research asking you about your motivations and interests, it is hard for a program to infer them from your browsing history alone. But that doesn’t really matter, because ads are low-cost to produce (even if they have a low hit rate).

This high prevalence of programmatic advertising occurs on the Internet because there are no legal limits on the amount of advertising that people are exposed to. This is very different from conventional media such as television.

Ads don’t have to be so annoying

Some users regain control over online advertising by installing ad-blocking software. These can be free versions in the form of a browser extension or more advanced versions with a subscription fee.

Some companies, like YouTube, have created a business model that allows people to opt out of ads. To achieve this state of bliss, you have to pay an annual subscription fee.

But for those of us who can’t or don’t want to opt out, companies can find uncomplicated ways to make ads less annoying — and more effective for advertisers.

For example, Google Chrome has stopped using auto-play for videos. This gives people more control over the ads they see online.

Another way to achieve this is allowing users to interact more with ads. One example is a carousel ad, where you can scroll left and right while reading content. Interactive advertising increases the sense of control and leads to greater engagement.

Creating engaging, relevant online advertising is more exorbitant and time-consuming. But it’s likely to be more effective—and a lot less annoying.