What if we banned all advertising? Not regulate it—abolish it. This proposal would transform manipulation machines, and maybe save democracy itself. A thought experiment worth considering.

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.

  • RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    I think art ads should be the exception to this in that movies, books, concerts et al shouldn’t have to be local artists to be promoted.

    • lolcatnip@reddthat.comEnglish
      0·
      1 month ago

      Maybe make an exception for ads that consist mostly of artwork that customers are being sold? I’m talking about things like album covers and book covers that are often works of art in their own right.