!["Why can't some things be left without [them]?"](https://www.thecooldown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/fortune-cookieimage-recD30b7QbQLVb3DM.jpg?w=1920&h=800)
A fortune cookie didn't come with the prophecy one Reddit user was hoping for — but it did come with an unexpected sweepstakes promotion.
The Redditor posted the picture in the r/Anticonsumption subreddit.
The photo shows an open fortune cookie and the tiny piece of paper found inside. The back of the fortune displays a sweepstakes advertisement with a QR code for the chance to win $250,000.
There was a fortune written on the other side of the paper, according to the Redditor. However, the Reddit user expressed disappointment. "Why can't some things be left without an ad?" the OP questioned.
This isn't the first time someone has expressed their frustration with inescapable advertisements. Last summer, eMarketer estimated that advertisers in the United States would spend $390 billion on ads in 2024. More than half of those advertisements are on media platforms.
The increase in advertising can lead to serious environmental consequences. According to Earth.org, the rise in online promotions contribute to heat-trapping pollution due to increased web traffic. In fact, one study found that online ads are responsible for 10%-20% of the internet infrastructure's energy consumption.
Electronic signage, like the billboards in Times Square, also increases the carbon footprint. The energy needed to power the tourist destination is around 161 megawatts a day. That would be enough energy to power 160,000 homes, according to Earth.org.
Advertisements often encourage excessive consumption, which eventually leads to even more products ending up in landfills, where massive amounts of planet-warming methane gas is produced as items decompose. It's another reminder to be aware of recycling options to help keep waste minimal.
On the r/Anticonsumption subreddit, commenters are exhausted with advertisements popping up everywhere. One Reddit user set up ad blockers on their web browser in order to avoid the unwanted disruptions. "They are disgustingly pervasive," the user commented.
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Definitely 👍 Another commenter ran into a similar fortune cookie dilemma: "All of them had music ads on the back."
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"What's next, an ad on every square of toilet paper?" another Redditor wrote.
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