Residents of Johor Bahru are shielding their eyes from a glowing red billboard that's turning neighborhoods into unintentional light shows.
In a Reddit post, a resident posted a photo of the intense red glow from the towering billboard so powerful, it bathed the surrounding homes in an artificial sunset hue.
The light led residents to call out the growing problem of excessive light pollution from unregulated digital ads.
"I encountered the same problem stemming from a faulty billboard on Damen Mall (USJ Subang Jaya) blasting ads all night at maximum brightness. The housing estate across the billboard was fully illuminated and dammit the flashing lights were a b****," said one commenter.
These glowing displays aren't just an eyesore or annoyance. It points to a larger environmental and social concern.
Digital billboard advertising encourages constant consumption, pushing more products and services onto already saturated markets. That, in turn, fuels overproduction which comes with an increase in harmful pollution that is warming our planet, as well as waste from short-lived goods clogging up our landfills.
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Moreover, 24/7 light pollution threatens human health and local ecosystems.
Poorly regulated light pollution disrupts sleep patterns, stresses wildlife, and diminishes the quality of life for entire neighborhoods.
For example, a recent study found that light pollution disrupts coral reef spawning by throwing off the natural cues corals rely on to reproduce. This interference threatens the survival of entire reef ecosystems, which depend on synchronized spawning to maintain biodiversity.
"Seriously, digital ad boards in Malaysia doesn't seem to be regulated at all," said one commenter, pointing out that the lack of policies around brightness and timing is putting residents at risk.
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Yes — always 💯 "Bro be living in cyberpunk 2077, rtx slider max," joked another. "Seriously i hope you still able to get sleep."
Amid jokes, the core message was clear: People are fed up with invasive, environmentally harmful ads that prioritize profit over peace.
It's a glaring reminder of the need for better advertising practices, not brighter advertisements.
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