[drdec]

> It seems like the number of ads has dramatically increased in more recent times

Don't neglect to account that it may be that as you grow older, you are more likely to encounter these types of ads because the drug companies target older consumers as they are more likely to need the product.

[3xblah]

I only meant TV ads. As for trying to guess about me, I watch almost no TV in recent times, though I did watch it back in the 80's and 90's. I am basing this opinion on only small periodic encounters with recent TV, random samples. I do not see internet advertising because I use a text-only browser except when doing commercial transactions. In any event, I use local DNS, no third-party "upstream" DNS provider. I never see ads. Away from home, I generally do not access the internet from mobile phones. It is a reasonable guess, though. No doubt Americans are being targeted by advertising like never before.

[drdec]

I was actually thinking specifically about TV ads. For example, drug companies advertise heavily during the evening news. Cereal companies advertise heavily during cartoons. It's always been this way.