I would be interested to hear what anyone else who is on Instagram gets fed as a result of the companies profiling. I have not allowed them to access my photo album, microphone or camera on my phone, but I find it shocking how many people do. My mother always told me that if Dracula knocks on the door, don't let him in. Same goes for bailiffs.
Instagram have decided - so far - that I am a dirty old man who loves watching cars crashing, cage fighting, golf shots, random violence on the streets, Saudi dwarves playing practical jokes, girls practicing Irish dancing or gymnastics and Turkish men taunting one particular fellow with a tiny head who is obviously quite high up on the autistic spectrum.
What haunts me is that they could be accurate in their judgment, but then I remind myself that almost anyone who is fed an unending stream of this stuff is bound to get drawn in for one reason or another. I was heartened to hear that my grandson is taking a break from Instagram just because he could not find the energy to ignore it any longer.
You see, these little video clips are only a few seconds long and they are back to back. Skipping through them takes up a lot of time and after 10 minutes or so you have witnessed dozens of events and incidents which - if they happened to you - you would be talking about for the rest of your life. I suppose that sensitive people (get me...) develop a form of PTSD after quite a short period of staring at a small screen, so it is a mental health issue in the end.
The other thing that keeps you hooked is that in amongst all the women in underwear and pointless violence there are some truly wonderful, heartwarming and funny clips. A man is lying on a sofa with his newly born baby and his wife is filming it on her phone. He gently leans down and kisses the baby, who appears to be asleep. Immediately the baby - eyes still closed - cranes her neck up to her father and kisses him on the cheek in return. You hear the little smack of the kiss. It almost brings tears to your eyes.
What do you get fed?
Don't even know what Instagram is (don't tell me)
ReplyDeleteAlright, I won't Weave.
DeleteSimples (must have a cleaner mind than yours) Swiss scenery, charity shop wares, someone who makes spindles. Also Ben's clients (female singers) who can often be seen in what always seem to me their underwear!
ReplyDeleteI think it is a female mind of a certain age that you have. Most old men are dirty ones, and they know it.
DeleteI do not tap in to the online world as much as many. I like visiting all my favorite blogs, buying on Amazon, checking YouTube for fix-it advise and listening to music videos. Tracking me must not appeal to the trackers and I'm fine with that.
ReplyDeleteYou may not think you are tracked, but you are - especially by Amazon.
DeleteI get fed the people I follow who are exclusively artists and creative people and other art that connects with my links. I get very few ads unless it is something I have sought at some point. I got a lot of charities over Christmas. I am happy with the way it works for me.
ReplyDeleteYour followers are the ones you choose to get content from. The stuff I don't ask for is everything described above. Also, you are an elderly female. That makes a big difference.
DeleteThanks for telling me.
DeleteHave I offended you?
DeleteSaid with nonchalance, intrinsically funny. No course you haven't.
DeleteAlthough I was upset because I have never been described as elderly before and I wasn't expecting it.
DeleteI don't think of you as elderly, but anyone over 70 - like me - must begin to.
DeleteI refuse to step through that door, or Twitter or any of them!! I only keep Facebook under a very strict rein to keep in touch with my grandies.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is the worst. It is a big door to step through.
DeleteI am 'fed' by avoiding these things.
ReplyDeleteGruel?
DeleteI don't have television service. In the past six months I've turned on the TV and watched The Crown, in one sitting, one episode to go; Meghan and Harry, start to finish; David Letterman, I paused the Zelensky episode. That is three times I've had my TV turned on for tracking. I watch my computer; a tiny house on YouTube named Static CamperVan; GMail; Google News; Amazon.com. You tell me.
ReplyDeleteNo Instagram for your weaving?
DeleteI get fed ones similar to those I already follow, in general.
ReplyDeleteA few others I just say I am "not interested" !
Yes, I get a lot of historic buildings stuff too.
DeleteI get a lot of the 'Save the...!' ones. Arty-farty stuff as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't get many charity appeals, but I do get arty farty.
DeleteAfter using it for over 2 years for contact with my family, especially those on Australia, I suddenly found recently that I was being fed a number of unasked for stuff. Hair raising mountain biking, lots of DIY vids, motor crashes and dog behaviour - the last quite interesting. But I can simply ignore them and follow the on screen instruction to go to older posts, which takes me straight past the lot.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is it would be easy to get drawn into them and if you "liked" one you would be having a lot more of whatever. Thing is to be disciplined with the digital world and only use what you need. I use Insta for family contact, Amazon for all my shopping as it is easy to look at all items you need (Wanted a new watch yesterday, found exactly the one and it will be delivered today, quickly and free delivery due to my membership of Amazon Premium - simples). Blogging since 2006 as I enjoy doing it, although the blogging world is not what it was in its heyday.
I have a very old, basic mobile phone - not used for incoming, I have a landline and answer machine for that - but really for emergencies only and a desk top PC for accessing Google and emails. Hence I am not tied to it and am never seen walking along, bowed over a smart phone or answering one when it rings in my pocket. (the many times I have been cycling along a cycle path to see pedestrians walking on it too, engrossed in their phone and oblivious to my approach, in spite of my ringing my bell. Indeed if I come up behind others and ring it they automatically reach for their phones and I actually gently collided with one youth as he simply did not hear my bell as he had earphones on.
Be disciplined - make use of the digital world, but don't let it make use of and take over, you.
It sounds as though they feed you the same sort of stuff as me. We probably fall into the same profile bracket. Most people use WhatsApp for keeping in touch with family.
DeleteYou just get fed what you have been searching for so we all know where you're at 🤣🤣 I get food, interiors, clothes, lots of kitchens and conservatories plus all that goes with it like switches/sockets, lighting and paint at the moment !!! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI don't 'search' for stuff on Instagram, which is why I used the term 'get fed'.
DeleteI just been targeted by a print company and they chose the right print for my new office …go figure
ReplyDeleteI've just pulled this one out of spam. I wonder how they select them.
DeleteI just been targeted by a print company and they chose the right print for my new office …go figure
ReplyDeleteI heard you the first time.
DeleteNow that makes no sense - maybe they spammed one but not the other. I'll check.
Delete