Sell… sell… sell, baby… sell! – part 2

One of the most popular posts on my blog was entitled: "Sell… sell… sell, baby… sell!" It was a stream of consciousness lament about the endless selling that we encounter in our inboxes and on social media platforms. People got to eat... I get that... but the excessive and frequently dishonest selling tactics are major turnoffs. For those who are selling honorably, it must be increasingly difficult to rise above the noise.

Well, I thought it was time for a part 2 because of a few concerning trends I'm seeing. But first, I'll take a step back in time. I'm old enough to remember the days before cable tv. We watched the major networks and understood that commercials were a necessary part of the experience. When cable first arrived, the pitch was that our monthly subscription would allow for commercial free viewing. Many of us thought that would be cool, so we bought in.

But then, over time, the cable stations started adding commercials. We might have been annoyed at first, but like the frog that is slowly boiled, we stayed in the pot despite the increasing warmth.

Fast forward to today's streaming platforms and the argument was essentially the same - pay a fee and you'll be spared commercials. Frogs never learn and so now that Amazon is charging a fee on top of a fee to keep commercials off of their Prime channel, it feels like one grand deja vu. Most of us got the email from Amazon recently announcing this change. I think what struck me most of all was this line from their communication: "Prime is a very compelling value." Excuse me, Amazon, but that's up to use to decide, not you to declare.

This is the world we live in, I guess.

But since I'm ranting, I'll continue with another observation. Many outlets are increasing (massively, in fact) the amount of advertising on their websites. I am accustomed to banner and inline ads, sure... but have you noticed how many sites are now adding pop-ups that obscure their content and which require some type of interaction in order to dismiss. On one popular site I frequent, I counted 37 ads in one article, some of which contained cleverly hidden x-outs in order to dismiss. About halfway through, I gave up. Just not worth it.

Again, I know people have to be compensated for their efforts and I have no problem with the profit motive per se, but I wonder where this is all headed.

It's no wonder people are choosing minimalism and reducing the tech in their lives. We are bombarded with messaging, distractions, notifications, and highly targeted marketing. Screens are messing with our eyes and sleep cycles and changing our psychological wiring. Increasingly, many are unplugging, resisting, and turning away from the onslaught of excessive commercialism.

I'm looking to disconnect myself. And I really hope there's not going to be a need for a part 3 to this series...

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