Driver sparks outrage with photo of alarming feature in new vehicle: 'Cars are becoming smartphones with wheels'

A Jeep driver on Reddit shared their dissatisfaction with a feature seen in newer cars. 

A post on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit showed a photo of the vehicle's display screen as the user's 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee started. 

The screen displayed an advertisement for $1,500 in "Loyalty Retail Bonus Cash" for owners of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, FIAT, or Alfa Romeo brand vehicles.

Anyone who already owns any of the listed vehicles could receive an additional $1,500 for the purchase of a brand-new Jeep. 

"I'll never buy a newer car because of garbage like this. It's a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee," a description under the post stated, and the original poster's feelings were understandable. 

Targeting drivers who own vehicles from these brands and encouraging them to buy yet another car, when cars in general are not getting any cheaper, was bad enough.

However, it also illustrated the rise of ad inundation — the constant, overwhelming presence of advertisements in nearly every facet of our lives, in both physical and digital spaces — which primarily aggravates targeted audiences. 

The sheer volume of ads in nearly every space we occupy encourages greater consumption and leads to more waste in our already overflowing landfills. Constant advertising is also detrimental to mental health due to its perceived inescapability. 

In this case, encouraging the purchase of superfluous cars wasn't just wasteful; it could also exacerbate an overheating planet by putting more gas-powered vehicles on the road. 

Luckily, there are ways to combat overconsumption and work toward a cleaner future, even amid overwhelming ad inundation. Shopping at thrift stores is one way to find essential items and gifts at bargain prices, and it keeps your dollars out of the hands of massive corporations. 

How old is your car? Brand-new 👶 Two to five years old 🧒 Five to 10 years old 🧑 Over 10 years old 🧓 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

The rise of "Buy Nothing" groups has also made it easy to keep items out of landfills. If one is truly in the market for a new vehicle, investing in an electric version is another way to fight back, as EVs are generally cheaper to power and maintain than their gas-powered counterparts and don't produce tailpipe emissions. 

Reddit users shared the original poster's disgust.

"Cars are becoming smartphones with wheels," one user remarked.

"I saw that on mine yesterday too. Unreal!" another wrote.

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