FEATURES
14
September 2018
Consumers ask for advertisements Internet cookies boost marketability Nihal Karim
For the past few decades, the use and influence of the internet has shaped people’s lives, making it one of the biggest parts of today’s culture and society. The wide access to the internet allows millions of people to do a variety of things, such as communicate with friends, connect with family, start a business, and of course, shop. One of the reasons for the increased popularity of online shopping is the use of cookies, which allow businesses to collect data that can be used to advertise. The popularity of online shopping has gradually increased over the years. According to Pew Research Center, 79 percent of adults have made an online purchase of any kind, showing an increase from just 22 percent in 2000. In addition, 15 percent have purchased something through social media links on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Digital advertisements allow online shopping to become easier for both the customer and the seller. Social media’s extensive use allows it to become one of the most convenient and common places for retailers to advertise their products. In an article about top marketing tools, Forbes said “social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are the new homes of conducting business, creating consumer bases, and advertising products.” With a swift development of many businesses, personalized advertisements became one
of the most powerful tools for effective advertising in 2018. According to research by Epsilon, a global marketing company, 80 percent of consumers are more likely to make an online purchase when brands offer personalized advertisements. Furthermore, 90 percent have indicated that they find the personalization of advertisements appealing. “Sometimes when I look something up, I’ll keep getting an ad for it on YouTube for seven months straight,” freshman Elle Horst said. According to a Business Insider guide on deleting search history, browsers track users’ information every time they access the internet. This allows the browser to build a user profile, which contains information such as the user’s age, location, and interests. Clearing one’s search history will not actually eliminate the data gathered by the browser. Browsers track users’ history by using one primary method: cookies. While people may think of cookies as delicious, chocolatey treats, in the world of computer science they mean something else. According to a “how-to” guide by Symantec Corporation, an HTML cookie is a packet of data that a computer receives and then sends back to the server. Cookies allow users to have a better experience while browsing the web. They are responsible for storing the users’ passwords, often visited locations, and other preferences. When a user makes online
Emma Romanowsky
purchases, for example, retailers use cookies to keep track of the items in the user’s shopping cart. Without that, the shopping cart would reset to zero every time the user clicked on a new link. “Cookies store your information which makes the browsing experience simpler for many people,” AP Computer Science teacher Karyn Voldstad said. “You can clear them but then you will lose certain privileges. You might have to enter your passwords every time and have to manually log in instead of allowing the browser to remember your information.” While cookies usually gather data automatically, some websites began to ask the user’s permission before allowing them to further explore their site. Since cookies make the browsing experience easier for the user,
most people tend not to think too much about it. “I always click ‘Yes’ when I’m asked if I want to use cookies,” freshman Emma Scott said. Aside from those features, the information gathered by the cookies proves to be useful when it comes to marketing. The data sold to companies aids the creation of personalized advertisements for many users. While private and personal information, such as the users’ names, is not sold, other useful information that shows users’ preferences is sold to the companies. “They use that information to make more personalized ads,” Voldstad said. “For example, they can make political ads based on the user’s search history.” While many look at personalized advertising as a convenient
way to shop or browse the web, some have expressed concerns about being so exposed to companies. “It feels kind of weird when you think about it, but I also understand why they do it,” sophomore Shawn Vinogradsky said. “They want to sell me stuff and it’s a good way to make money.” Whether the user is an eager online shopper, or if they prefer to store their passwords in the browser, cookies and other similar features allow the user to have a pleasant and comfortable browsing experience. As always, there are always two sides of one coin, as those features may put your privacy in danger and create a situation in which your personal data is revealed in ways that you may not wish it to be.
Bay Area restaurants move to be more eco-friendly Julia Rhodie You are at the coffee shop you visit every morning as an essential step in your routine. The routine is automatic. You don’t even think about what you’re doing. You order a decaf iced mocha, wait by the pick-up counter, and receive your coffee. You look down, and that’s when you realize something is missing. Where is your straw? Chances are, it’s legally banned. Restaurants throughout the Bay Area are eliminating the use of plastic straws due to a recently passed legislation in San Francisco. This is a trend seen thorughout the nation. Several cities including nationwide Calabasas, Calif., have enacted a total ban on plastic straws.
During the month of July, the Land Use and Transportation Committee authorized the ban on selling, using, and distributing plastic straws and other related food accessories. Some have also taken notice of additional efforts to consider the environment. Alyssa Nguyen, the president of Carlmont’s Green Team, said, “We have seen restaurants around the area converting to tri-bin systems. There have also been changes to recyclable and compostable take-out boxes and utensils.” Although this change in restaurants may be due to legal obligations, restaurant workers still find it important that they are contributing to preserving the planet. Barry Piotrkowski is a server at Black Bear Diner and has been in the restaurant business for over 10 years.
“It is important that our restaurant makes efforts towards helping the environment to help preserve for future generations and to keep from destroying animal habitats with plastic and trash,” he said. This proactive approach to combat pollution is being repeated throughout a variety of American industries. According to National Geographic, major corporations such as Starbucks, Bon Appetit Management Company, Marriott hotels, and American Airlines have made public announcements that they will wane off of plastic straws in the coming years. Restaurant customers have also seemed to embrace this break of tradition. “The reactions from guests have been mostly positive,” Pitrkowski said. “We have been seeing more people bringing their own straws or using no straw. There have
been some ecosystem-conscious guests complimenting us on our efforts.” Despite the changes that Bay Area cities are undergoing, many question the impact that these efforts will actually have on the environment. To some, it is a very small step towards a greater goal for an eco-friendly feature. According to Michal Nozik, the head of Carlmont’s science department the potential straw ban is a small contribution to a much larger problem: “Banning plastic straws is sort of like a baby step. If every possible step is taken to improve the environment, it will create a big impact. However, banning plastic straws alone is not enough. It will take much more to establish a sustainable world. If we combine all of our efforts, we will have a better chance of preserving our environment.”