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The Sad Math of Ads: Messages of inadequacy and salvation through consumption
Advertising permeates modern life, drowning us in messages of inadequacy and promises of salvation through consumption. Ads have become so commonplace, that we’ve stopped questioning their existence. This article is my attempt to change that, if only a little, by introducing advertising's costs in
This article is my attempt to change that, if only a little, by introducing advertising's costs in a simple formula: ads add waste, subtract wellbeing, divide attention, and multiply endlessly. More generally, advertising manufactures wants and insecurities, manipulating us into buying unnecessary products, all at a higher price to recoup the costs of annoying ads. While the distraction of an individual popup, poster, or sponsored break may seem trivial, the cumulative effect has created an attention crisis with far-reaching consequences.
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