social engineering <> social networking

We all know that Facebook loves to collect our personal data, browsing history, posting history, etc.  We also know they use this data to target specific potential customers for advertisers on their web site. It makes perfect sense and, in all honesty, is a fair trade.  Or, at least, I think so.  After all, we are using their resources for our personal and/or professional use with unlimited storage space for photos, an immense networking system; and it's FREE!!!  Seems a fair trade that they use our data to target us for specific advertising to pay for all the free technology we are using.

I think most would agree that most women generally, do not share their age.  Vanity, I guess.  I've never cared if people knew my age.  (I'm 44, just to prove my point.)  I'm not hung up on the whole, "I'm getting old" thing or anything like that based on some stupid number.  I'm still me and me has no age. Well, except for when you are looking through old photographs and gasp at how you looked fill-in-the-blank years ago.  Even then it is more about "how" you looked at a point in your life, than the age you were when you looked that way.

Back to the ads.  I've noticed a trend in some of the Facebook ads that is, disturbing.  No, not the funky baby ad or Obama Mama go back to college ads with a hairy guy and the caption, "So easy a Cave Mom could do it!".  Although, I must admit, I thought that was pretty darn funny the first time I read it!

The ads are targeting a specific age group.  Understandable.  Makes sense.  (Re-read and keep reading the first paragraph until you do get it.)  My question is why in God's name did they think it was beneficial to incorporate the user's age into the graphic?  Especially when they know the person looking at the ad is a woman!

Wouldn't it make sense that for certain age ranges, displaying the age wouldn't be a good thing?  Women who are self-conscious about their age are being constantly reminded how old they are.

I am not age sensitive and these ads have made me more aware of my age now than ever before.  I am 44.  I don't walk around thinking it all the time.  "I'm 44."  "Hello, I'm 44."  It's something I just know.

But every day I see ads on Facebook reminding me that I'm 44...AND female and live in Florida!

I am doomed!

'Cuz I'm just a girl...