Ads on YouTube = Data Mining

Whenever you watch YouTube, do you notice how there's a short little advertisement that pops up before you even watch the video? Moreover, have you noticed that the advertisements relate to things you're interested in? For example, as I was about to watch this one video on YouTube, and ad for a MasterClass with Itzhak Perlman, the aMaZiNG world-renowned violinist, popped up. Of course, since I'm a violinist, I actually ended up watching the whole advertisement, and I was intrigued. But that got me wondering, "How did YouTube know what ads I would actually watch and slightly enjoy?" Well, the reason YouTube knows what ads to show to its viewers is all thanks to data mining. According to Wikipedia, "Data mining is the process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems." This basically means that YouTube looks at all the videos you've watched and tries to show ads that will relate to your interests, because then, the companies that are being advertised have a higher chance of making profit. YouTube looks at all the videos you've clicked on, and then finds patterns in them and discover how they relate. So in my case, they noticed that I've watched a lot of violin videos - and posted an ad that I would find interesting. I think the fact that I can watch personalized ads is pretty cool, but its also kind of creepy. YouTube has a sense of the person I am and all of my interests just based off of the types of videos I watch! :o
So, the next time you watch a video on YouTube and an advertisement pops up that's selling something you might find interesting, think back to this post - you've most likely been data mined. 

Comments

  1. I think it's so funny that the same Itzhak Perlman ad has kept showing up for me too. I watched it all the way through and actually enjoyed it since he is a wonderful musician as well. That just goes to show that data mining effects most of the advertisements we all see. All the twosetviolin videos that I've watched caused this ad to be marketed to me. I find it both creepy and interesting.

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