In "Fifteen Million Merits," the second episode of the near-future sci-fi anthology Black Mirror, the episode's protagonist, Bing, is eventually driven to madness by his inability to avoid ads.
That episode debuted in 2011, and while we're not quite "there yet," a post on Reddit's r/TIHI — "thanks, I hate it" — was close enough to be deeply uncomfortable.
Everyone who has eaten their share of Chinese takeout has likely encountered a bad fortune. In this instance, the original poster received an "ad fortune."
It bears emphasizing that the original poster's "fortune cookie" didn't come from a restaurant, but the incident was still eerily similar to Bing's on-screen torment, down to the raunchy nature of the advertisement.
"Got this fortune cookie at a bar last night and instead of a normal fortune it had a full-on ad inside for a freaking adult website," they wrote. "I get marketing is getting creative but this feels insane lol."
Relentless advertising isn't a problem exclusive to the digital age — it was a major plot point in the classic 1983 holiday film A Christmas Story, which was set in 1939 — but digitization has enabled companies to browbeat consumers into spending with cutting-edge strategies.
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At the beach, floating billboards haunt the surf, and people can't even use the restroom in certain establishments without being forced to view ads.
Intrusive marketing isn't just an annoyance; bright, flashing digital billboards dot roadways and even appear on the backs and sides of moving vehicles, a dangerous distraction.
In every instance, the ads themselves are a nuisance — but they're also subtle environmental cues pervading every facet of our existence, exerting near-constant pressure to consume.
Marketing drives overconsumption, prompting consumers to buy things they don't need, barely want, and can't afford, objects destined to spend most of their existence in overflowing landfills.
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Landfills are a massive source of methane, a potent planet-warming gas. This never-ending cycle hurts consumers' wallets, creates piles of plastic trash, and exacerbates emissions, but simple acts like shopping secondhand can help break it.
Reddit users were as horrified as the original poster.
"Thanks, I hate this very much," one commented.
"Thanks, this is terrible," a user concurred.
"Ads in fortune cookies should be a crime against humanity," a third proposed.
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