I use ad blockers and open source privacy focused software whenever I can but occasionally I have to use computers that don’t belong to me or an older phone where my usual applications aren’t installed and seeing all the advertisements just feels dirty and dystopian.

I think the worst ads are the text to speech ones that say “Download this app today”. The unblinking energenic people saying you can make a living at home are probably a close second.

  • solstice@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m always disgusted with tv ads and it blows me away that people just let commercials scream at them all day to buy viagra, anal leakage meds, insurance etc. Why would you let that shit in your home? Ugh

    • peanutdust@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      That’s literally my parents “background noise” it’s a news argument or commercial 24/7 over there.

    • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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      1 year ago

      Why would you let that shit in your home?

      because I find it amusing and it doesn’t do anything actually harmful.

      • 1984@lemmy.today
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        1 year ago

        I just feel annoyed… I hate their fake humor, fake happiness, fake everything. And they are so dumb.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I only see ads when I use YouTube on my phone, but my god the “humor” is terrible. Especially those “aren’t we weird and kooky?” Liberty Mutual ads, not one of which is remotely funny.

          • solstice@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            They aren’t creating awareness of their brand, so much as they are making people associate their brand with being pissed off. Looking at you Liberty.

        • _number8_@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          YES the dumb skits are fucking excruciating. and they air them over and over. and some people laugh!

        • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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          1 year ago

          What fake humor are you talking about? There was a snickers commercial last year that made me laugh. It wasn’t fake - it was hilarious. Had a pretty raunchy joke in it too.

      • solstice@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You actually find ads blaring at you amusing? What a truly horrid unpopular opinion. I’ll respect that though if you’re actually serious but it’s hard for me to comprehend.

            • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Fair enough, I’m just not able to relate to someone who enjoys ads without a personal interest involved. I’m at the point where I hate ads so much that even if it is something that interests me, most advertisements are more likely to get me to avoid a product than pursue it.

              • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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                1 year ago

                I do understand hating ads to some extent because when I was growing up, they made me feel uncomfortable but later on I realized it was because I was watching tv with other people. So it was really just other people making me feel uncomfy and not the ad’s - when I watched ads on my own I found them interesting when I actually paid attention to them.

                What do you mean by personal interest though? Most tv ad’s I see now aren’t even for someone like me. Like I have no need for viagra pills or dog meds. I’m not a guy with dick problems and I don’t own a dog. I see a lot of ads for like 65+ people too cause that’s who’s left watching and they know it.

                • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  For personal interest, I meant like a direct personal benefit in some way from it. So not an interest in the ad itself, but the results of that ad. It might have been clearer if I had said “financial interest” instead, though it could also be say an actor in an ad that was already paid but liked being seen, or someone who likes a show liking ads for it because they want the show to grow in popularity.

                  • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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                    1 year ago

                    oh yeah, I’m not getting any kind of financial gain lol

                    If anything, companies make money off me like they would anyone else.

      • iByteABit [he/him]@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I don’t often watch TV, but I get what you’re saying. Sometimes it’s fun to just watch through the ads and make fun of them with my gf until a movie comes on, it’s sort of a guilty pleasure

        • solstice@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I hear you, it is an interesting cultural and quasi historic experience. It’s fun to go back and compare commercials over the decades.

        • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, that’s why I have a bunch of VHS recordings from the 90’s. They’re like little time capsules and the ad’s of the time are telling of the events at the time.

        • oatscoop@midwest.social
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          1 year ago

          One of my dad’s friends would mute the TV when commercials came on. We’d entertain ourselves by making up new narration and dialogue.

          The viagra commercials were the best.

      • Acters@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Haha, I understand both of the points made. I can’t get over the feeling I get from the obvious in your face push to tell you about a product. the obvious act of pushing a brand name and product to me is either annoying, depressing, or disgusting.

        I would rather live happily with what I have. I am simply not the target audience. I can pick out that every ad and commercial I see is targeting the consumer and experts you to buy or think about it. I am neither right now, but that does not mean I am not going to get influenced to buy a product. Also, I want to prevent myself from being influenced by outside sources. I don’t know how to do it for everything, and advertising is an easy target to get rid of.

        On the other hand, it is interesting and almost comical how some ads are made. Unfortunately, almost every commercial or advertisement made is short form content. There is almost no depth, and each video/ image/ text is made to be self-contained. I am someone who likes to have an overarching story tied with character development and meaningful changes from events. These commercials seem to be like family guy flashback/reference jokes or acting like a poorly done transition in between scenes that was introduced to force you to stop watching for 5 to 15 minutes with the added benefit of earning the Channel money.

        • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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          1 year ago

          Also, I want to prevent myself from being influenced by outside sources

          I guess I am a special case in this way because I grew up in a religion that basically forced me to learn how to block out something so it doesn’t influence me one way or the other. I had go for 7 years blocking out religious garbage in my face so I am just use to looking at something, and not being influenced by it.

          But most people don’t have that so no wonder its so invasive for them.

          I also don’t get modern Family Guy hate but whatever. To each their own.

          • Acters@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Less of a family guy hate and more of a comparison. Family guy is OK and not the greatest thing to watch continuously. Which is why I dislike commercials more because they are always happening. I can tune into family guy when I desire, but advertising is never a choice given to me. Why can’t I just choose the adverts instead of all the personal data collection so they try to guess my desires(literally call it personalized targeted ads, like some kind of weapon name). Just like parasites, I hate invasiveness. I want to be clean and will seek refuge or remove it from my life.

            • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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              1 year ago

              advertising is never a choice given to me

              Interesting. To me its a choice. I choose to skip ads or watch them.

              • Acters@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                How about choosing the ad you want to watch? instead, you have “random personalized from harvested data” ad feed to you at intervals that are becoming ever imposing in the normal content you wish to enjoy. The only option is to skip, watch, or turn off the device/service. There isn’t an option to choose your ads. Like a social media feed where anyone who pays can enter your feed, and you just have to skip them or look at them. It is not good enough and purposely limits your control. Plus, blocking ads should be considered a form of skipping ads indefinitely. Also, they don’t even allow skipping ads in some situations and force you to watch them. F that noise. Some will even go out of their way to force you to watch ads or mask links with tracking.

                Even then, ads are terribly made content wise because of the forced randomness of placement and viewership. Moments where youtubers do sponsor driven ad breaks are a decent change, but that relies on the youtuber matching up the content with the sponsor, and the sponsor allows creative freedom. Even then, I desire to have content I search for. Instead of serving me random content in between everything as a general strange form of psychological torture.

                Most ads I see are for products I don’t ever want to buy. It is just noise and an eyesore.

                You are wrong. There is no choice given.

                • cubedsteaks@lemmy.today
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                  1 year ago

                  No, I’ve seen services where they let you choose what ad to watch before the program.

                  Also I only see ad’s on YouTube TV which was my choice to purchase. So I went into that purchase knowing that I would be getting ad’s. It was my choice entirely.

                  • Acters@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    I still disagree because I doubt the services I use will implement that kind of system ever. Also, I am interested in hearing more about the services that do offer that benefit. Maybe elaborate some more instead of a blanket lazy statement. Youtube TV and cable TV are all commercial driven with monthly costs. I hate that I have to pay and still get advertising stuff shoved up my face. On the other hand, congrats to you for making that “choice.” 👏 As I stated, either you are allowed to skip, forced to watch/listen, or remove yourself from the “platform.” In a dystopic future, you will not be able to make that last one as there will be no true alternatives, only fake another “iteration” of the same stuff. Can see it happening to some streaming platforms and especially TV broadcasts.