[wincy]

I block ads aggressively for me and my children. Only use PLEX, no streaming services, adblockers everywhere. I get upset when I see ads. My children get confused and cry. But you’re right. When my daughter was in the hospital with pneumonia and seeing ads were unavoidable, she saw a Paw Patrol ad about a million times and started crying for some $50 toy. Finally I bought it so she’d shut up. It works on me too, I see an ad for some new 3D printer and want to spend $500 on it. Or maybe I will pay $10 a month for a subscription until the end of time for STL files I think are cool but will never print.

They already have thousands of toys, and I have multiple printers that fulfill my needs, but the ads keep encouraging me. Maybe I will charge my credit card to get this very well engineered 3D printer part. Maybe the kids do need more toys.

Of course they can make money off of showing me ads. Advertising is where you take the best minds in the world and waste their skill on the most nefarious and toxic type of manipulation that exists. One time my 300 pound fat ass almost spent $60 on edible cookie dough because of a Facebook ad. I pulled the page up a dozen times and almost clicked “buy” a few times.

My mind is constantly assaulted by nonsense. I hate advertisements as much as I hate the people who ignore the “no solicitors - oxygen” sign the children’s hospital gave us, and knock on my door anyway.