Last July, Facebook proudly announced that more than one million companies now advertise on your newsfeed. We’ve noticed. Facebook has started to resemble a SkyMall catalog, only without the potential to buy engraved chin-rest neck-holders for your dog — most ads we get range from obnoxious to actually offensive.
Readers often email us complaints about Facebook ads: thinspo-y weight loss ads, diaper ads even though they’re not pregnant, creepy purity ring sales. I asked my coworkers what they see when they sign on:
Me: “online speed dating” and “way better snacks”
Kate: “Men: New Steroid Options”
Callie: “I used to get one that said ‘should feminists eat meat’ a lot, because all my statuses were about the patriarchy and hot dogs”
Dodai: “birth control lawsuits and a Macy’s ad that thinks I’m going to homecoming (maybe because I post about Miley)”
Erin: “student loan debt, Bill De Blasio for mayor, 1 hour grocery delivery, romantic Chicago getaways”
Facebook won’t open up about its advertising strategy, although a spokesperson once told Ad Age that marketers reach pregnant women by “mixing and matching a variety of targets, such as those interested in baby products and people who like children’s music, which taken together produce a high likelihood of hitting the mark.” (It just became clear that Facebook is judging me for eating leftover mashed potatoes out of a pot for breakfast.)
Post screenshots of your most ridiculous Facebook ads down below so we can analyze them and discover What Your Facebook Ads Say About You.
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