A beachgoer sparked outrage online after sharing an all-too-common issue ruining their otherwise relaxing sunset view, causing one person to speculate that advertisement-free experiences could become a pricey commodity.
"What a beautiful beach sunset…," the beachgoer wrote sarcastically in the subreddit r/Anticonsumption, posting images of two ads sitting atop the gorgeous waters. "Some beaches in Mumbai (India) now have these eyesore advertisements."
"It's going to be expensive for ad-free nature in the future," someone responded in the comments section, pointing to the seemingly growing issue.
Floating ads have been around for some time. One 2023 report from the Seattle Times highlights how the 1962 World Fair turned 21 Washington state ferries into floating billboards, contributing to increased fair attendance and record ferry traffic.
However, while ads can help bring people together or even raise awareness, the digital age is making it harder than ever to escape their influence. The typical person sees thousands of ads every day, per Siteefy.
In addition to ruining otherwise scenic views at beaches around the world, flashy digital ads have been spotted on our roadways, causing some to worry about potentially distracted drivers.
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That's not to mention the negative impact these ads have on our sense of satisfaction. Adfree Cities, a network of groups in the United Kingdom, found that advertising contributes to poor mental health by painting an unrealistic picture of how products can resolve feelings of unhappiness.
This encourages consumers to buy more and more, leading to the overuse of precious resources and the generation of pollution during manufacturing. The U.N. Environment Programme notes that global material use has tripled over the past 40 years.
Some are helping to combat the issue by donating old items to charity or selling unneeded stuff online, decluttering their spaces in the process. While mindfully consuming resources certainly feels good, though, many Redditors suggested that nothing could compare with the priceless beauty of nature undisturbed by ads.
"I can't believe there aren't laws against this," one person commented on the original post. "... Frankly I'd avoid the brand."
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"Something has to be done about this, so it can't be normalized," added another.
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