{"id":4727,"date":"2023-06-11T08:24:52","date_gmt":"2023-06-11T01:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/how-to-filter-triggering-ads-online\/"},"modified":"2023-06-11T08:24:52","modified_gmt":"2023-06-11T01:24:52","slug":"how-to-filter-triggering-ads-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=4727","title":{"rendered":"How to Filter Triggering Ads Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">A<\/span>ds you scroll by online are supposed to make you feel \u201cI need that.\u201d But what if the product or service you\u2019re getting advertised is something you do want, but really can\u2019t, or shouldn\u2019t have? What if you\u2019re trying desperately not to want or think about whatever is being advertised to you? What if an ad brings up a terrible memory?<\/p>\n<p>Ads that elicit these complex emotions may fall under the umbrella of what technology companies call \u201csensitive topics.\u201d They could be ads about pregnancy and fertility, weight loss, dating, money, or more. Like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/entry\/women-affected-by-miscarriage-and-infertility-are-being-targeted-with-baby-ads-on-facebook_uk_5d7f7c42e4b00d69059bd88a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/entry\/women-affected-by-miscarriage-and-infertility-are-being-targeted-with-baby-ads-on-facebook_uk_5d7f7c42e4b00d69059bd88a\">women who are served ads for baby products after experiencing a miscarriage<\/a>, sensitive topics could bring up negative emotions, turning an ordinary scroll session into an emotional blindside.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s unsolicited and that, I can imagine, can feel very intrusive,\u201d clinical psychologist and Harvard Medical School professor\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/authors\/jacqueline-sperling-phd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/authors\/jacqueline-sperling-phd\">Jacqueline Sperling<\/a>, PhD, says.<\/p>\n<p>Can just seeing an advertisement for something that\u2019s a sensitive topic for you really have an impact? Dr. Sperling explains that images in particular can actually be a powerful sensory jog to your memory, and the associated emotions. \u201cVisual stimuli can activate memories, experiences, and a bunch of thoughts and feelings for people,\u201d she says. They can even lead to feelings of being unsafe, which may activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-responses\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-responses\/\">fight, flight, or freeze response<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/filter-triggering-ads\/\" current-title=\"How (and Why) To Filter Out Triggering Ads on Google, Instagram, and TikTok\" current-image=\"IMG_2023-6-10-191912-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-12-10\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/filter-triggering-ads\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/filter-triggering-ads\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/filter-triggering-ads\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cAds can affect someone&#8217;s mood, particularly if they&#8217;re personally relevant,\u201d Sperling says. If you linger on or otherwise interact with a post on a certain topic, personalized advertising platforms will get the message to send you ads related to that topic\u2014even if they\u2019re ones we ultimately don\u2019t want to engage with.<\/p>\n<p>There is a way to avoid this conundrum that is a bit of a double edged sword, however. Internet platforms have been rolling out tools that allow you to tell the platform not to show you something on a particular topic. But this generally involves opting into personalized advertising in the first place.<\/p>\n<h2>How to filter triggering ads so you don\u2019t see them anymore<\/h2>\n<p>On Google, you can go to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myadcenter.google.com\/customize\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/myadcenter.google.com\/customize\">\u201cMy Ad Center,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and you\u2019ll be able to select topics you don\u2019t want to see advertised to you. Ads about alcohol and gambling are automatically filtered out, unless you specifically opt in to them.<\/p>\n<p>On Instagram, you can\u2019t filter by sensitive topic, but you can choose to see \u201cmore,\u201d \u201cstandard,\u201d or \u201cless\u201d of ads Instagram considers \u201csensitive.\u201d This could include, for example, weight loss advertisements. You can make that choice under Settings &gt; Account &gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/about.instagram.com\/blog\/announcements\/updates-to-the-sensitive-content-control\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/about.instagram.com\/blog\/announcements\/updates-to-the-sensitive-content-control\">Sensitive Content Control<\/a>\u00a0in the app. You can also always click the three dots in the top right corner of the ad and click \u201chide ad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>TikTok doesn\u2019t have controls, but it automatically filters out content it deems to be sensitive by blurring it out in searches and in the \u201cfor you\u201d page. You can choose to skip or \u201cwatch anyway.\u201d When you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/safety\/en\/ads-and-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/safety\/en\/ads-and-data\/\">served an ad<\/a> you don\u2019t want to see, you can also long click or click on the share button and choose the \u201cnot interested\u201d option.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Sperling thinks the idea of setting these controls could be valuable, if you\u2019re going on social media and noticing that you come out feeling worse than you did before. One way to assess this is to rate your mood on a scale of 1\u201310 before opening up an app or a browser, and then re-rating yourself when you get offline. Then try that exercise again after setting controls.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCurate your newsfeed so that you don&#8217;t see certain experiences anymore,\u201d Dr. Sperling says. \u201cRe-rate your mood before and after, know how you&#8217;re using it and if you start to realize that it&#8217;s making you feel, not as sad, angry or worried. Maybe you see like, okay, maybe these adjustments are making the impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, if your mood does deteriorate from getting online, that\u2019s the time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/quick-wellness-tips-now\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/quick-wellness-tips-now\/\">prioritize your well-being<\/a>, and ask yourself some questions about what\u2019s going on inside that\u2019s making the experience unpleasant or uncomfortable. \u201cNotice how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected,\u201d Dr. Sperling says. \u201cWhen you notice those connections, then you are empowered to then work on them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While filters may be a good way to avoid triggering moments online, you can\u2019t filter out, well, life. So Dr. Sperling recommends that if there is a topic that really sets you on edge, you may want to seek out therapy to help you navigate those moments where you do encounter a sensitive topic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are things that come our way of which we have control,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are different ways that one may approach life experiences than one may approach the social media world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ads you scroll by online are supposed to make you feel \u201cI need that.\u201d But what if the product or service you\u2019re getting advertised is something you do want, but really can\u2019t, or shouldn\u2019t have? What if you\u2019re trying desperately not to want or think about whatever is being advertised to you? What if an &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}