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.world
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    4 days 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.

    • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      Thats what im missing from the on-demand 24/7 availability streamfests. Theres never a time when im forced to tend to the needs of my body so I kinda just dont.

      At least when the internet was slow I’d get 5 minutes to let the video buffer

      • TheOSINTguy@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        I used to be that way too, decided I was going to splurge on 2 fixed yagi’s and 1 yagi on a rotor and they are all 30 feet above my roof and I pick up around 60 some channels.

    • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      As one of the guys who just rawdogs unfiltered internet, I like to think im doing everyone a favour. The websites get that per-impression revenue and the ad block crowd have one less person on their lifeboat.

      None of these advertisers are going to get my money because I have none to spend. I cant even afford the luxuries I want. Im looking forward to payday in 2 weeks time so I can buy whatever snacks are going supercheap in my local discount shop

    • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      4 days ago

      They love their advertisements, that’s how they know how to vote for the worst thing possible and the ensure the taxpaying peasant is crushed firmly between paying them rent and paying them tax to fund more P&O Cruises.

  • kibiz0r@midwest.social
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    3 days 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.ml
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    4 days 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
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    3 days 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 ?

  • UndercoverEnby@lemmygrad.ml
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    4 days 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.

  • greenbelt@lemy.lol
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    4 days ago

    Commercials can sometimes be interesting to analyze, if you try to watch them objectively? What are the current desires, what do they want you to desire, and what are (fake) cultural trends?

  • Dæmon S.@calckey.world
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    4 days ago

    @comfy@lemmy.ml @asklemmy@lemmy.ml

    Back when I used TikTok, I found some incredibly rare, interesting pitches, regarding some kind of product or service I didn’t know the existence of. Can’t really recall examples atm; it’s been a long time since I ditched TikTok, but I vaguely remember seeing some agricultural-related ads (farm machinery) which instantly led me to wonder “what the… What is this thing, how does it work?”. Of course I didn’t buy the thing, it’s just that it was interesting to learn about the existence of such a thing, even if through some annoying piece of advertisement.

    Again, extremely rare situations.

  • anal_groove_parabola@lemmy.myserv.one
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    4 days 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.

  • Sickos [they/them, it/its]@hexbear.net
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    4 days ago

    The impossibility of looking away, as they are designed to grab attention. Ad shot lengths/jump cuts happen every couple seconds, and that sudden movement in one’s periphery demands attention.

    • comfy@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 day ago

      My approach if adblocking isn’t an option is switching tab/window and muting the tab (on a computer, that’s just two click at the top of the screen) or on a phone, muting and putting the phone out of view.