Edit: I researched a little more. For typical users and use cases, Firefox works ok (better with privacy extensions). What the article describes is more like browser-engine-based targeted attacks.
Udemy or taking online courses should speed up learning than reading docs and blog tutorials. Keeps you more engaged. This is just from personal experience.
Apparently, Google's strategy is to target the middle class (Eric Scmhidt said in some interview) which is like the majority of population in any country. Then to give them incentives to use their platform. This worked for Youtube by giving creators money and in some countries when they wanted adoption for their payment apps, they gave back good cashbacks as rewards. The cashbacks diminished after sufficient adoption was attained.
One thing I'd say is the volatility. Imagine Bitcoin as a global payment mechanism for the world. It's capped sure(21m) but volatile. You're buying something in El Salvador and someone/someones in the world make the price crash. By the time you reach for your phone in pocket to make the payment (say) and begin to pay, your item now costs double of what it should have costed. How does that work?
To me, it looks like you are consuming a lot more than doing something. Mere consumption of media always brings about problems like this. Try learning and hacking into something or starting something afresh (trying starting your own Twitch channel). All those talented people are consuming and putting what they learnt into practice.
The good: People who are unaware will be benefitted.
The bad: This will not stop trade if that's one goal.
The ugly: They don't do this with their ads.
Edit: I researched a little more. For typical users and use cases, Firefox works ok (better with privacy extensions). What the article describes is more like browser-engine-based targeted attacks.