My YouTube search history is pretty boring and predictable. Therefore, my YouTube feed is mostly predictable being mostly Indian motorcycles, some random car stuff, and firearms related with some of the expected clickbait and buzzfeed junk thrown in.
Yesterday my feed looked a little different than usual and here's where it gets suspicious.
1. A bunch of Idiocracy clips: I watched the DVD on Saturday. It was not streamed or played through a "smart" device.
2. A bunch of nail tutorials from a specific beauty guru: I was in the kitchen for about 20 minutes while my daughter was in the adjoining family room watching that very same girl using the TV. I'd never heard of this youtuber before then and certainly never done any beauty tutorial searches.
3. Energy drink related vids: My wife and daughter and I had a quick 2 minute discussion about a drink that my wife had bought at the store for the 10 hour drive she was going to make yesterday. Conversation was 15 minutes before I sat down and opened YT.
4. Pike fishing vids: (This one might be a stretch) The night before I was discussing Pike's peak with my parents who had just returned from a road trip and had stop there. FWIW, I don't fish, don't search for fishing related info, and never noticed any fishing related vids before. Just had a conversation where the word was said several times.
I realize YouTube and Google are kin and also realize that they share search history algorithm/data for ads and such. My concern is that these were all too specific to be random or coincidental. They weren't "search" results, they were pulled from conversations.
Just a few minutes ago I noticed an ad on this very site for ATV ramps. These were the subject of a conversation I had with my dad a couple hours ago -- essentially the last words spoken within earshot of my phone.
Okay, guys, tell me I'm just being paranoid.
Yesterday my feed looked a little different than usual and here's where it gets suspicious.
1. A bunch of Idiocracy clips: I watched the DVD on Saturday. It was not streamed or played through a "smart" device.
2. A bunch of nail tutorials from a specific beauty guru: I was in the kitchen for about 20 minutes while my daughter was in the adjoining family room watching that very same girl using the TV. I'd never heard of this youtuber before then and certainly never done any beauty tutorial searches.
3. Energy drink related vids: My wife and daughter and I had a quick 2 minute discussion about a drink that my wife had bought at the store for the 10 hour drive she was going to make yesterday. Conversation was 15 minutes before I sat down and opened YT.
4. Pike fishing vids: (This one might be a stretch) The night before I was discussing Pike's peak with my parents who had just returned from a road trip and had stop there. FWIW, I don't fish, don't search for fishing related info, and never noticed any fishing related vids before. Just had a conversation where the word was said several times.
I realize YouTube and Google are kin and also realize that they share search history algorithm/data for ads and such. My concern is that these were all too specific to be random or coincidental. They weren't "search" results, they were pulled from conversations.
Just a few minutes ago I noticed an ad on this very site for ATV ramps. These were the subject of a conversation I had with my dad a couple hours ago -- essentially the last words spoken within earshot of my phone.
Okay, guys, tell me I'm just being paranoid.
