Photos of advertisements at a mall in India sparked conversation on Reddit about the dystopian nature of our world.
The two shots, posted in r/ABoringDystopia last year, show a handwashing counter next to a food court in Chennai. "Ads have replaced mirrors at the local mall," the poster wrote.
The images revealed six sinks with four large LCD screens on the wall above them.
"I hate it here," one user said.
Another responded, "You can't escape planet earth."
Many commenters pointed out that there were no mirrors present, though one said the ads actually disappear when someone stands in front of them — "still s*****, [but] it would at least be kinda neat," someone else wrote.
Nearly all agreed that the presence of the boards in a space designed to provide a moment of peace for mallgoers set to tuck into a meal highlighted the spiraling nature of rampant consumerism.
Everywhere you look, you are encouraged to buy, buy, buy, and there's no room for the downtime our brains require to recharge.
"Mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories, and encourage creativity," Scientific American reports. You can avoid "cerebral congestion" by taking a nap, meditating, or walking, among other pursuits.
To foster change, you can also engage politically. Maine, Vermont, Alaska, and Hawaii prohibit billboards, and other states and some cities don't allow new ones to be constructed.
"Businesspeople in these states recognize that an unmarred landscape promotes tourism and benefits them in the long run," according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "Billboard bans also level the playing field between local businesses and national chains in at least one advertising medium."
At the least, no one can argue in good faith that such advertisements provide a net benefit.
As obnoxious as these screens were, they didn't touch the faucet-mounted variety that advertised, um, advertising or the ad on wheels that pollutes the environment while distracting drivers.
"Could they not just do part of the mirror with ads and part of it as still a mirror?" one Redditor asked.
Another user responded: "No because it would be easier to ignore. These ghouls would put unavoidable ads in your dreams if they could."
A third noted, "It's morally acceptable to smash these."
"I remember visiting a mall recently and when I looked in the mirror to fix my hair the ad started playing right where my face is," someone else wrote. "At least here you can see the ads straight away instead of luring you into looking in a mirror and having half of it obscured by a fucking ad."
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