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Have you ever wondered if your electronic devices are listening to your conversations?? I did, and now I have proof they are!
I think it’s common knowledge that just about everything we do online is tracked. You can search for something on Amazon, and then a few hours later you’ll see an ad for the item on Facebook. Maybe you email a friend about a beach trip, and then see an ad selling beach chairs. I bet if you look at the sidebar on this website right now, you’ll see an ad for something you’ve probably Googled. The question is- do your devices listen too?? Search results on the internet show people have very different opinions. I decided to find out for myself!
Background…
About a year ago, a Boy Scout asked me if I wanted to buy some popcorn. I politely said no, and then a few hours later I saw an ad for boy scout popcorn on my computer! I immediately felt guilty for saying no AND a little like I was being stalked by that boy scout. That’s when I began to wonder if my phone was listening. I thought I was just being a weird paranoid person, but then I heard other people joking about having the same suspicions. That’s when my hubby and I came up with a way to prove if our devices were listening.
The Experiment…
Several months ago we decided that we would pick a totally random topic and talk about it to each other. We had to pick something we would never search for online, purchase in a store, email or text about. Something so off the wall that if we saw an ad for it online, it would mean some device we own listened and decided to show us the ads for. It took a long time to come up with something! We thought about boats- but we do like to fish. We thought maybe a sports car- but we had recently bought a truck. Maybe vacation to the bahamas? But we had recently looked at Air BNBs when family was coming to visit.
Finally, we decided on the topic! We would discuss how I REALLY wanted a diamond engagement ring! I never ever buy jewelry and we’ve been married for over 10 years. I hardly ever wear jewelry and I hadn’t done anything online recently that would prompt jewelry ads. We had no upcoming weddings to attend and don’t even know anyone currently engaged.
The process…
Over the past few months, we’ve been randomly talking about my ring. My hubby might say something like “Do you need anything from Lowe’s” and I’d reply “Only my diamond ring for our upcoming engagement”. Or sometimes I’d ask him what he wants for dinner, and he’d say he’d like to get me a diamond ring. We probably mentioned buying a diamond ring and getting engaged at least once a week.
The Results…
Well, today it happened. I was wasting time on the internet (I mean searching for deals for my loyal followers lol), looking through some spammy list of 30 gadgets I need in my life and all of a sudden I realized every advertisement was for diamond rings or weddings!!! I don’t mean one or two ads….EVERY ad! And you know how spammy those click bate lists can be!!!
Here’s a few of them…
So do you think your devices are listening???
I’m 100% convinced they are…but I must admit…I don’t really care. If it means I see ads for things I like rather than junk I’ll never buy (like diamond rings) it’s OK by me. Perhaps I’ll refrain my saying my credit card numbers aloud and maybe my social security number from now on, but otherwise, I think it’s just part of the world we live in now.
