There are a number of reasons why targeted advertising is bad, but let me share two screenshots with you to clear up one of the reasons that hits you right in the wallet.
I’m an IT professional, my browsing habits aren’t tracked since I use a VPN provider on pretty much every machine I have… except for the office. There all the IT browsing comes out a single IP address. While viewing a news article, I see the following ad:
See the wireless access point on the right? $331.10 for that device… unless you do your own research and find the “deal” on your own. If you do, you see this instead:
Modern advertising isn’t just a means to inform a buyer of a new product, its a means of consumer control. Thinking of where to go for dinner? Ask Alexa for a list of nearby Mexican places and the list you get back isn’t the actual list of what’s around you, it’s a list of companies who have paid for Alexa to mention them. The mom and pop shop around the corner hole-in-the-wall that’s absolutely incredible… you’ll never know what you’re missing.
When you go where Alexa tells you to, you’re going to pay more for your meal to boot. What, you think they paid for Alexa to mention them first at a loss? Naturally the cost of your meal has been marked up to include the advertising plug.
Break yourself out of the habit of clicking on any ad you see, ever. If it makes you think of something you want then open up a new tab, Google it and get it yourself. You’re resisting behavioral modeling – you’ll find harder than it sounds at first, which means you’re doing the right thing.