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Sometimes ads on social media are shockingly relevant. Other times, they’re not even close.

The ad might show an item you recently searched for, like an indoor plant trellis. Alternatively, you might see an ad because you fit the target demographic an advertiser wants to reach.

Since many of us are chronically online, it's much harder to escape the ads that follow us around the internet and across devices. Fortunately, your ad settings can be tweaked on many social media platforms to reduce how often some topics pop up. It's fascinating to see some of the unexpected categories social media platforms and advertisers think you are interested in. Somehow, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, had me pegged as someone interested in baby formula and commedia all’italiana. (I don’t have children or know Italian!) 

However, the ads that appear can also unknowingly spoil a surprise or advertise triggering content like alcohol, pregnancy or politics. Changing your ad preferences on social media platforms won't guarantee you’ll never see these ads again, but it should, at least, reduce the frequency with which you see them.

Watch this video to see how to change your ad preferences on social media platforms. 

Google search, YouTube ads

To customize the ads you see on Google Search and YouTube, visit the Ad Center.

You have the option to completely turn off personalized ads or see your recent ads and trending ad topics. Scroll through and tap the minus or plus signs for content you aren’t or are interested in, respectively. 

Clicking “Customize Ads” on the sidebar will show even more topics and brands you can go through and deem relevant or otherwise. The “Sensitive” panel lets you reduce the amount of sensitive content you see, including alcohol, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, dating and weight loss. 

Google's Ad Center does not have a search feature and only allows you to customize the ad topics and brands it shows you.

Facebook, Instagram, Meta ads

For Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta-owned platforms, go to "Ad preferences" in the Accounts Center.

To find this on Facebook and Instagram:

1. Click on your profile picture on Facebook (desktop or app) and Instagram.
2. For Facebook: find and click Settings & privacy, then select Settings.For Instagram: tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
3. Click "Accounts Center."
4. Click "Ad preferences."

You can search topics you’d prefer to see less of, like politics or plumbing fixtures, and manage the topics advertisers use to find you. For topics that don't interest you, click on them, then select “See less.” 

If an unwanted ad appears in your feed, click the three dots, then tap "Hide ad."

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• Durable phone car holders: Beam Electronics Phone Holder 
• An iPhone tripod we love: Aureday Phone Tripod 
• The best USB-C cable: Anker 6 Foot USB-C Cable, Pack of 2 

X (formerly Twitter) ads

If a post that doesn't interest you appears in your feed, click on the three dots and tap "Not interested in this ad."

If you want to dive deeper into your ad preferences on X, formerly known as Twitter, navigate to "Privacy and Safety" in the settings. Then, click "Content you see."

Click into "Topics" or "Interests" to see what X thinks you may be interested in and make any adjustments needed.