How targeted ads might just save your life | Sandersan Onie

TED Health

TED

Health & Fitness, Fitness, Shoshana Ungerleider, Medicine, How To Be Healthier, Ted Shoshana, Ted Talks Health

4.2 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2023

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Could the tech industry's complex algorithms support people during their darkest times, rather than just deliver targeted ads? Drawing from his own experience with depression, global mental health researcher Sandersan Onie shows how internet search behaviors can provide valuable insights into suicide risk and potentially help save lives by reaching people in a deeply personal way, at a crucial moment.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ted Audio Collective Welcome back to Ted Health. It's your host Dr. Shoshona Ungerlighter.
0:20.0	Have you ever scratched your head at that super specific ad on your social media feed and thought,
0:26.0	how the heck did they know I was after that many avocado peeler?
0:31.0	Well, it's true.
0:32.0	Tech companies and their algorithms have kind of figured us out. But
0:36.6	global mental health researcher Sanderson-Ooni thinks this can go beyond sponsored
0:41.6	content about kitchen tools or the latest workout fad.
0:44.8	In his 2022 TEDx Sydney Talk, he dives into how tech might just step up in our darkest moments.
0:54.0	Imagine if those sneaky algorithms shooting ads our way
0:57.0	could actually toss you a lifeline if you're feeling hopeless.
1:02.0	This talk invites us to imagine new and critical uses for this
1:06.2	everyday tech and it may just make you think twice about that next pop-up. Hey listener, a quick favor. We are conducting an audience survey and we'd be really grateful if you could take just a few minutes to respond.
1:26.0	Please visit survey.PRX.org slash health to take the survey today.
1:32.0	That's survey. PRX.org slash health.
1:35.0	to take the survey today. That's survey. PRX.org slash health.
1:36.4	Thanks.
1:38.6	Sometimes I'll be scrolling through my social media on my phone and I'll get an ad. But how on earth
1:45.4	do they know that sometimes I snore so loudly my brother needs to wear earplugs
1:50.4	the next room over? I think we're all familiar with this not so
1:55.7	secret habit of the tech industry where they use these complex algorithms to
2:00.0	get to know who we are, what we like, what we don't like.
2:03.0	Also, they can tailor ads to us and sell us things.
	...

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