I would love to know from the rest here - isn’t a solution to the ad creep just… not buying things? Like going for second hand / refurbished, avoiding big brands for food and drink, and just not shopping online (ffs)? Or am I being naive? Enlighten me!
Of course working under the assumption that the government cannot (yet) admit to tracking us for more sinister purposes. That’s a problem for another day.
Not shopping on line will most often cause consumers to spend more time to find what they are looking for locally and will cost them more money. Whichever way we go (on line or off line), it is going to cost us in some way.
I mean we could also just… not shop at all, or way way less? It’s a weird hobby if you think of it. Food is hard to avoid because supermarkets are assholes, but I have my local free shop for clothes, and our countrywide 2nd hand market app for other things i might occasionally need like appliances or tech. But I also see, in the same country, the creeping in of US style urbanism where there are small towns which are basically just becoming large shopping outlets with parkings and fast food. Makes me wonder.
This really depends what youre buying. People buy everyday things online often.
This makes me think of when my partner was trying to tell me walmart is always cheapest, and I proved him wrong and dont shop there, for anything. Yes the wet cat food is 2 cents more. I dont care, two cents is worth not walking into walmart.
Ive changed my habits, I go without, others could too. Like the lady I mentioned a number of comments ago, she was on disability and poor, yet, her house was overflowing with temu garbage. She didnt need any of it, it just made her happy she could participate in online capitalism, I think. Which to me, seems backwards.
Covenience isnt always best imo, some things we should have to work for. That said, there are some things are harder to find, and online helps a lot, however reduction is better than nothing. The amount of fuel to get that lady her one dollar press on nails, or my neighbor thier paper towells is just, goofy. “I order my 25 pound cat litter online so I dont have to carry it!” ugh.