Yes, this instance is definitely the wrong place to ask, but maybe I’ll be surprised.

I hate commercial ads. I consider them intolerable and violating. I’m far from alone in this perspective (see: famous Banksy quote, and subvertising + related cultures). It’s one of the rawest forms of exploitative manipulation.

So surely you can understand my confusion whenever I see people just watching ads on their phone until they finish, or even watching ads on television until their show starts again. Come on, just do something else for 4 minutes (most channels run two 4 minute segments per half hour, that why your downloaded TV episodes are 22 minutes each instead of 30)

Is there a more meaningful answer than “laziness”?

  • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 months ago

    I’ve spent the past 35 years actively avoiding viewing ads. I was radicalized by AdBusters magazine when I was ~25. It used to be harder, because you’d need to either turn off the TV or change the channel, and magazines were filled with them, you couldn’t tear them out because the back of the ad was the other half of the article.

  • UndercoverEnby@lemmygrad.ml
    5·
    2 months ago

    I feel the same way. My family does our best to avoid ads where we can, and almost always mute them when they do pop up. It was really easy to find a third party app to disable ads on YouTube, which is the most agregious.

    When I’m subjected to them, I usually get really frustrated, and will half jokingly start yelling at the TV, usually something like “Leave my family alone!” Or just being really sarcastic. Even my oldest child will yell at the TV “Go away ads!” Which I’m proud of.

    But truly, every time I’m served an ad, I get mad because it feels so tone deaf to me. I understand companies would never change their advertising, and would never share my worldview, but I just hate seeing all of the glamour and superficial shine of capitalism when it is failing more and more people day by day. It just feels like consumerist theater/escapism.

  • kibiz0r@midwest.socialEnglish
    4·
    2 months ago

    I avoid the potential presence of ads.

    I recall seeing some research that suggested “ignoring” ads makes you more susceptible to their content. I couldn’t find it after a couple searches though.

  • mr_noxx@lemmy.mlEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    I usually hit the ‘mute’ button on my remote and then spend the next few minutes doing voiceovers for the ad ala Mystery Science Theater style. My wife and kids love it… :P

  • 64bithero@lemmy.world
    3·
    2 months ago

    I hate ads but I realize I don’t watch nearly as many movies as I use to cause I have no idea what anything is about. I use to from watching lots of trailers in tv ads.

    Maybe I can start watching movie trailers on you tube ?

  • anal_groove_parabola@lemmy.myserv.oneEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    One of the advantages of owning an EV is that I am not subjected to the ads at gas pumps anymore.

    I charge at home so I don’t see the charger ads either.