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What If We Made Advertising Illegal? (simone.org)

submitted 4 days ago by sundrei@lemmy.sdf.org to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world

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The idea feels like sci-fi because you're so used to it, imagining ads gone feels like asking to outlaw gravity. But humanity had been free of current forms of advertising for 99.9% of its existence. Word-of-mouth and community networks worked just fine. First-party websites and online communities would now improve on that.

The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn't been valid for decades.

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[–] heavydust@sh.itjust.works 269 points 4 days ago (18 children)

The web has been cleaned with uBlock Origin. Doing that IRL would be great. And for every stupid counter argument (I've seen those on HackerNews), I don't tolerate brain washing.

The most stupid argument I've seen is from an American who said "what if you don't know about the effects of a drug that could save your life?" Well, that's the job of the doctor. Your society has failed if you rely on marketing to eat random chemical dangerous stuff.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 58 points 4 days ago (2 children)

When I watch a US sport, I'm blown away that the ads are all medical, banking/insurance, cars, and maybe fast food. It's so weird.

[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 25 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Don't forget personal injury or liability lawyers.

[–] scytale@lemm.ee 14 points 4 days ago

And gambling.

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

What’s a normal selection of sports ads look like elsewhere?

[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago

Every time I watch premier league it’s just gambling ads nonstop lol

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

I was going to note it down as I was watching F1 at the time of writing that comment. There was a kids hospital charity, a food charity, a car, other sport, and a travel/tourism ad.

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