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Don’t blame the advertiser

Ads feed your addiction to social networks
Do you hate ads in your Facebook and Twitter newsfeed?

I don’t blame you. There’s nothing more painful than an interruption of your regularly scheduled cat photos and inspirational memes.

But don’t blame the advertiser. It’s not their fault you spend up to 10 hours of your month buried in a newsfeed on your smartphone or computer.

Blame yourself.

You’re too cheap to pay for a social network. You just sign up and expect it to be free. You don’t pay for it like the utility it is.

Could you imagine if your phone worked on a private network that was free with sponsored messages? You’d have your calls brought to you by Apple, Nike and Nabisco. Politicians would sponsor every. single. call. during election cycles. Your calls would be monitored to “bring you more relevant advertisements.”

It would be hell.

The way I see it, there are two ways you can make this change:

  • Stop using social networks that are free with sponsored messages.
  • Use social networks you actually have to pay for.

Like either of those will happen.

Unless something changes radically in the near future, this is how social networking will be. A collage of personal updates mashed with sponsored messages from the brands who are willing to pay.

2 Responses to Don’t blame the advertiser

  1. Camilo Olea March 19, 2013 at 11:31 am #

    Or you can always ignore the ads and carry on posting cat pictures.

    • Jay March 19, 2013 at 11:58 am #

      People can still ignore things?