Endless Advertising!

I think one of the things that annoys me the most about being alive and navigating the world in 2026 is the fact that virtually everything we encounter seems to have become an advertising opportunity.

It's not something that happened suddenly — after all, such ideas as product placements in movies and products being advertised as part of shows has been around for a long time. But with the advent of the Internet, it seems like advertising has become far more prominent and in-your-face than it used to be.

I guess I notice it the most when I'm looking for something online and many of the search results for whatever thing I'm seeking turn out to be nothing more than an ad farm with about ten lines of actual content.

You've probably encountered those site that show as something like "20 things you should know about traveling" but it turns out there is just one brief thing on each page, and dozens of advertisements and links to shopping.

Granted, my computer is somewhat older... but it still makes me shake my head when there are so many interactive ads running on a page that the machine actually freezes, and I have to close the browser in order to keep working!

While I certainly appreciate initiative, and people taking it into their own hands to grab other people's attentions for a few cents, the thing I find pervasively annoying is that it's wasting my time. And I just don't have very much time!

It also bothers me thoroughly when I am trying to chase down a news story, and this website that ostensibly belongs to a new service is actually 95% advertising... masquerading as news stories and only 5% actual news.

I know the old argument has always been — first with TV and subsequently with the Internet — that if you want it for free you have to put up with advertising. That's fine and I understand that, but what I don't understand it's the growing level of deceptiveness that seems to be going into this eternal advertising.

I remember thinking it mildly funny that my stepfather would often exclaim "Lies and propaganda!" at TV advertising when he was watching sports, but with age I have come to have an increasing appreciation for why he felt that way!

One of the things I have long appreciated about Steemit is that we only have to put up with pretty minimal advertising, here. It's also one of the reasons I don't feel bad about sharing articles here with "external" friends.

I suppose one positive thing about it all is that I sometimes get so annoyed that I step away from the computer and do something "non-screen" instead.

I always feel better afterwards!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about YOU? Do you get annoyed by the amount of advertising in the world? Do you try to avoid it? Do you ever BUY anything, as a result of an ad you've seen? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2026.07.22 01:02PDT
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