Wednesday, May 28, 2008

"Personalized" Facebook ads

I have a Facebook account (like half the planet). Because I entered my age in my profile, Facebook customizes the small ads that appear over in the left column.

I'm far from being a senior citizen, but they seem to enjoy taunting me with ads about hair loss and stair lifts (those slidey things that allow the mobility impaired to have two-story houses).

Among all the ads apparently aimed at the increasingly-decrepit, though, is something I find really interesting. The ads for over-50 dating services always seem to include a photo of an attractive woman in her 20's or 30's. (And, of course, mammarily disproportionate.)

So, Facebook's idea of a male in his 50's is one who is losing his hair and can't walk... but who regularly dates young hotties.

Which begs the question: what ads do they serve to twenty-somethings?

Perhaps they see their younger male members as being hairy marathon runners... who date cougars.

Maybe someone from Facebook can clear up this demographic puzzler.

Oh, no, wait-- Sorry. They're all out right now, getting their hair cut. Or rock climbing. Or hooking up with Demi Moore.

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