Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
newyorker.com
Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
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Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#2"Back in the twentieth century, people were roughly equal in their power to avoid advertising. Only desert hermits and commune dwellers could truly live ad-free."
In the 20th Century it was certainly possible to avoid ads on TV. You could use the remote to mute them (or temporarily switch channels), leave the room to do other stuff while they were on, or tape your TV shows on a VCR and fast-forward over the ads.
Avoiding ads in print media was pretty easy too: just turn the page. Since print ads don't flash or make noise, they can be ignored pretty easily.
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#3" Back in the twentieth century, people were roughly equal in their power to avoid advertising. Only desert hermits and commune dwellers could truly live ad-free. " In the 20th Century it was certainly possible to avoid ads on TV. You could use the remote to mute them (or temporarily switch channels), leave the room to do other stuff while they were on, or tape your TV shows on a VCR and fast-forward over the ads. Av…
Well, but they were roughly equal in their power to do so and in how much they did it.
Currently, it's closer to "all-or-none" switch, where the majority see all ads, while many see nearly no ads at all - and it's a quite different situation.
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#4" Back in the twentieth century, people were roughly equal in their power to avoid advertising. Only desert hermits and commune dwellers could truly live ad-free. " In the 20th Century it was certainly possible to avoid ads on TV. You could use the remote to mute them (or temporarily switch channels), leave the room to do other stuff while they were on, or tape your TV shows on a VCR and fast-forward over the ads. Av…
I'm not quite sure what modern media you're comparing this to, since in pretty much every meaningful case, this is still true. You can turn off youtube, your tv, the internet (erm; your connection, but I like my original one better.).
Perhaps more meaningful would be to note that the media in which ads can be presented have become more and more necessary in some equivilent subset of daily and work functions between now and 20 years ago.
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#5" Back in the twentieth century, people were roughly equal in their power to avoid advertising. Only desert hermits and commune dwellers could truly live ad-free. " In the 20th Century it was certainly possible to avoid ads on TV. You could use the remote to mute them (or temporarily switch channels), leave the room to do other stuff while they were on, or tape your TV shows on a VCR and fast-forward over the ads. Av…
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Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#6Talk about moving the measurement to create concession. Ads are a problem. Never have there been more advertisements. Not only do people have Billboards, TV ads, Radio Ads, and Newspaper ads like we've had in the 20th century (all of which are still pervasive and virtually unavoidable), But we're not talking about a problem in avoiding all of the new types of advertising only really initiated in this century.
Perhaps the problem isn't Ad Avoidance, but Ad Overload. People will either find a means to limit their exposure, or the Ad industry will see effectiveness drop to a level that isn't profitable to the cost.
I understand that jingles and subconscious inserting one liners are impossible to ignore and extremely valuable, but I think the question rests on how many of these virtually empty platitudes a human mind can carry.
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#7Ad avoidance is as much of a problem as periodicals that won't rely on their readers to make money. How come magazines are ad-sponsored but books aren't? What's the difference?
(I was glad to hear the Times makes money off of subscribers. I never feel bad about blocking ads, but I felt it was my civic duty after I started paying $13 a month or whatever it is to read it.)
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#8Sometimes I wonder how the web looks like without a ad-blocker, for example if there are ads on HN. But I never was brave enough to surf the web without one after I got my first one back then.
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#9The argument is pretty simple: if you destroy the advertising revenue that content depends on, we’ll end up in a cultural wasteland, or, worse, a culture plagued by advertising that masquerades as content.
Isn't this true for things that are already paid for anyways? The car from Transformers seems to ring a bell.
The argument that advertising kills content doesn't really hold its salt for me, if people are not willing to pay for content is it that great anyways? The argument really only eliminates niche content.
Re: Is Ad Avoidance a Problem?
#10TV ads are still a growing business according to TFA. Mm...
In other news, people still go to the bathroom, fetch a snack, walk their dog, etc. during TV ads. And more recently, browse their tablet or smartphone.
Try this poll around you: You watch TV with:
[ ] No other screen on hand
[ ] One other screen (e.g. tablet, smartphone or laptop)
[ ] Two screens
[ ] Three or more screens
Then consider the price advertisers pay for "your attention" and have a good laugh.