That’s the thing, though. If these ads show you deals for things that you would actually be buying anyways, then those ads are doing a terrible job.
They don’t ever want to be truly relevant to you, because they don’t work for you. They work for the advertising company. And against you.
Sure, they can’t sell diapers to someone without a baby. But if you did have a baby, you can be sure that they won’t be advertising the cheap and perfectly good diapers that you would be getting anyways or that you really should know about.
They’ll try to have you spend money on expensive brand diapers that are really not worth their money. Can’t be, because obviously some of that price pays for advertising.
Also, they will try to convince you that they are worth their money, because psychological warfare is the norm for advertising these days.
The idea that they serve to inform customers and create the necessary transparency to allow capitalism to self-regulate, that’s at least since the internet became a thing, just complete nonsense.
Because we now have a lot of transparency. If I want to buy diapers, I can hit up the search engine of my choice and be offered a decent diaper selection.
An ad trying to grab attention is really doing a disservice to transparency, because you’re then less likely to utilise a search engine.
Because we now have a lot of transparency. If I want to buy diapers, I can hit up the search engine of my choice and be offered a decent diaper selection.
Exactly. There are other resources you can consult besides ads. You can search. You can, say, use consumer reports or wirecutter or any number of places you might trust. You don’t need ads for that.
I think, of the billion and one different things that Only Happen On The Internet, there’s weird psychology at play that leads to truly insane discussions. I think people get a kick out of talking about something crazy, but affecting the most normal possible voice to try to normalize the crazy thing. And I think there’s a dopamine hit there that people are chasing whether they are fully conscious of it or not. I think this counts as one of those things.
The idea that they serve to inform customers and create the necessary transparency to allow capitalism to self-regulate, that’s at least since the internet became a thing, just complete nonsense.
Loads of stuff that I find interesting were completlely unknown to me for years before I discovered, either via Reddit, friends, socialmedia generaly.
Therefore, I can completely understand companies advertising. Hell, I’ve seen billboards that have actually sparked my interest. Doesn’t mean I buy that particular product though, of course. Most of the times big companies only seem to advertise in order to keep it expensive for small ones and to remind you that you have that candy bar in the fridge when you see an add for a candy bar on TV, even if it’s not the same company/candybar it means you’ll buy more next time you go shopping.
In fact, maybe advertising food should not be allowed because of that. I’m pretty sure most countries don’t allow medical ads either.
Well, this comment turned into an economics discussion. :upside-down face:
Yeah, really just can’t stand ads. I think, they’re harmful for economies, which is only glossed over by them short-term cranking up the numbers of how much citizens consume.
But then when you get such unlikely events as a pandemic, or a financial crisis, and people start to actually think how much of what they’re consuming is necessary, then this whole construct flops on its belly, because half the economy sells bullshit that no one actually needs.
That’s the thing, though. If these ads show you deals for things that you would actually be buying anyways, then those ads are doing a terrible job.
They don’t ever want to be truly relevant to you, because they don’t work for you. They work for the advertising company. And against you.
Sure, they can’t sell diapers to someone without a baby. But if you did have a baby, you can be sure that they won’t be advertising the cheap and perfectly good diapers that you would be getting anyways or that you really should know about.
They’ll try to have you spend money on expensive brand diapers that are really not worth their money. Can’t be, because obviously some of that price pays for advertising.
Also, they will try to convince you that they are worth their money, because psychological warfare is the norm for advertising these days.
The idea that they serve to inform customers and create the necessary transparency to allow capitalism to self-regulate, that’s at least since the internet became a thing, just complete nonsense.
Because we now have a lot of transparency. If I want to buy diapers, I can hit up the search engine of my choice and be offered a decent diaper selection.
An ad trying to grab attention is really doing a disservice to transparency, because you’re then less likely to utilise a search engine.
Exactly. There are other resources you can consult besides ads. You can search. You can, say, use consumer reports or wirecutter or any number of places you might trust. You don’t need ads for that.
I think, of the billion and one different things that Only Happen On The Internet, there’s weird psychology at play that leads to truly insane discussions. I think people get a kick out of talking about something crazy, but affecting the most normal possible voice to try to normalize the crazy thing. And I think there’s a dopamine hit there that people are chasing whether they are fully conscious of it or not. I think this counts as one of those things.
Loads of stuff that I find interesting were completlely unknown to me for years before I discovered, either via Reddit, friends, socialmedia generaly. Therefore, I can completely understand companies advertising. Hell, I’ve seen billboards that have actually sparked my interest. Doesn’t mean I buy that particular product though, of course. Most of the times big companies only seem to advertise in order to keep it expensive for small ones and to remind you that you have that candy bar in the fridge when you see an add for a candy bar on TV, even if it’s not the same company/candybar it means you’ll buy more next time you go shopping.
In fact, maybe advertising food should not be allowed because of that. I’m pretty sure most countries don’t allow medical ads either.
Well, this comment turned into an economics discussion. :upside-down face:
Yeah, really just can’t stand ads. I think, they’re harmful for economies, which is only glossed over by them short-term cranking up the numbers of how much citizens consume.
But then when you get such unlikely events as a pandemic, or a financial crisis, and people start to actually think how much of what they’re consuming is necessary, then this whole construct flops on its belly, because half the economy sells bullshit that no one actually needs.
Alright, I’ll stop now. :upside-down face: