Ever notice there’s advertisement in absolutely everything? Even things that formerly did not have any ads. Amazon Prime video is now showing ads in its video content. To get the ad-free experience as before, you have to pay extra per month. It’s just like watching cable TV: many ad breaks within a program. I thought the whole point of “cutting the cord” was the ability to watch an entire episode uninterrupted? How the tables have turned. The arc of progress is a circle.
All because of ads. The entire house of cards is built on ads. Google can’t afford to give away stuff like Gmail if adverts weren’t the majority of the billions in revenues. Your favorite sports league’s viability is entirely based on the ability to sell ads - either at the arena, or on TV broadcasts. The reason WNBA players don’t make as much as NBA players is because they can’t attract enough advertising dollars. (It’s definitely not sexism.) Our favorite online platforms - that we use for free - wouldn’t exist without ads. We’re not the customer, we’re the product.
Downstream from all these advertisements is consumer spending. That’s the other major leg on this house of cards. Ads induce people to buy things they didn’t even realize they needed. Imagine if people didn’t buy, that every adult in this country is fiscally responsible, and consumer credit card debt is not a giant sword of Damocles. This economy would crumble. Companies would spend less on ads. Netflix wouldn’t have big budgets for its TV series. Your favorite online publication might have to charge subscription fees.
Not that I am wishing for the economy to go to shits. I’ve just become more aware of how pervasive advertising is, how much it props up a lot of things we use and enjoy. It’s kind of icky feeling, honestly. In response to Amazon Prime now showing ads in its video platform, I will be way less inclined than I already am to watch anything on that platform.
Waiting for tonight.