Sorry to disappoint you but we are not talking about the chocolate chip biscuit but rather internet cookies. Internet cookies are files created by a given websites about the user. They are used to identify the user and customise their web pages accordingly depending on how you last used the site, what you looked at previously on that site and other features that a website would want about you. Currently, many people view cookies in a negative light due to privacy issues and websites collecting data for illegal activity but they do have many benefits that will be covered in this post.
Convenience
Cookies make browsing much easier for users of the internet. By allowing a website to have access to your cookies, it allows them to customise and tailor the web pages for you and make it much easier to find the items you might be looking for including information, products, articles, videos and so on. In fact, by blocking all cookies, you are making surfing the web much more difficult for yourself. For example, say you urgently need your car repaired, by allowing websites such as google to have your location, they will suggest a business they know is close by therefore making it easier for you to get in contact with them and fix your car. Another example could be online stores such as Amazon and eBay. Online stores use your cookies for a wide range of personalisation for the user including, keeping items they had in their cart, previewing items they may have looked at last time or related items to this, calling the user by name and other features. Cookies allow users to browse with ease and more people should be taking advantage of this.
Effective advertising
Cookies allow you to only get advertisements that are relevant and needed by you. Instead of getting ads like banner ads and videos that are not related to your preferences or demographic, cookies allow you to see products and services they know you would interested in. For example, if you are male, getting advertisements for feminine products would probably disinterest you and may become annoying as you have absolutely no interest in this product. Cookies allow websites to understand who you as a person are and personalise these ads to you. As well as benefiting you, it also benefits the company themselves by only showing the ads to the target market they are attempting to appeal to.
Ease of control
Although, it may not seem like it, cookies are actually very easily controlled by users. Many websites will ask you if you want them to save cookies from that site and do not just take your information by force as it is illegal. This granting you with control of what exactly you want to share on the internet. It is also extremely easy to manage and delete your cookies if you don’t want a specific site to have them anymore. For example, when using Google Chrome as your browser, to delete the cookies, you just access your site settings and view cookie data where it allows you to access and delete these with ease.
Even though cookies are useful and often not harmful, there are many dangers when using the internet and some websites may not use your personal information to benefit you. When on the web, ensure you only give cookies to websites you trust and know are safe. This way you know that you are both using cookies to their advantages as well as keeping your personal information safe.
Assignment 1 - Digital Marketing - Hannah Day 
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I had absolutely no idea what cookies were before this article.
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I am glad I could help! Many people have no idea what they are either and just click the ‘yes’ button whenever they are asked. It is important to know when browsing exactly what you are agreeing to.
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I understand that cookies make browsing easier and they aren’t completely bad but I feel like they are still unsafe to approve.
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That is completely up to you, even I am unsure how safe some websites are! Your personal information is extremely important, however, I think our information will spread one way or another so approving it on websites we use regularly may not be a bad thing.
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Great article! I think cookies are those things often just overlooked when browsing (either you agree or leave the website), but most people don’t really know what they do specifically. I bet there are people who just assume it’s a virus and click away without understanding what they actually are.
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People really need to be properly educated on exactly what they are doing on the internet!
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Very Interesting article Hannah! Its very interesting to look at such an essential component of so many websites and businesses that often go overlooked, with people often accepting them on web pages, not knowing how important they are. The internet has really developed at such a rapid pace, to where it can learn so much about you, Do you think this is something we need to look out for in the future?
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I 100% think this is something to look out for. I think regardless of what we say or do, our information is eventually going to be out there unless we develop better ways to protect ourselves as well as gain proper information. I would say that majority of people using the internet would not even know what a cookie is and that’s terrible!
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Great post.
I agree with your stance on cookies. I’m not worried about them! I feel like there’s a faux outrage right now, people hear that they will take their data and immediately they don’t like it… but if they thought about it, what’s there to worry about? It’s not like there going to publish all your search information all over the web or on the front page of the newspaper. The only concern is hacking! Therefore, companies need to build systems to prevent hacking and ensure they are transparent with consumers.
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I completely agree with you! They are quite safe mostly but I can see why some people are wary if they do not have a complete understanding of them.
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Fantastic article. I find with advertising that sometimes things I already have purchased pop up as ads on Facebook and as banner ads… I guess this is due to cookies and can be quite annoying.
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Facebook is kind of notorious for that. We have not perfected this technology and I guess that’s why we still sometimes get these ads but I am sure we are really close and will advertise something similar to the product rather than the product itself.
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Great Article! Ive been accepting cookies every time they appear without hesitation and this article now gives me an insight of what they actually do.
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No problem! Be safe when browsing the web!
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Great post! I’d be interested to know if cookies can give your computer a virus?
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Yes, they can but only if they are malicious.
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Great blog hannah! Im on the fence about cookies, I feel like they’re always watching me haha
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