A photo of an Indian beach enraged social media last year.
It showed a throng of people at the water's edge — usually an idyllic scene. Not far from the shore, however, a small barge or similar vessel toted an electronic signboard. The screen advertised some kind of "health day," ironically enough.
"Juhu beach in Mumbai, India now comes with advertisement disrupting the view," the poster wrote.
Aside from its dubious messaging, the unavoidable eyesore was out of line for many reasons.
People go to the beach to enjoy nature. Our sands and waterways are already full of plastic trash and watercraft-based pollutants — we don't need to add more toxins to the mix for what can only be described as frivolous reasons.
Perhaps as long as humans have lived on Earth, the ocean has been thought to hold restorative powers. Studies have proved this, showing physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits, according to Escape Haven.
Swimming in the ocean boosts white and red blood cell counts, and seawater can help heal the skin and reduce inflammation associated with maladies such as arthritis. The salt-packed H2O can also normalize blood pressure, which helps you sleep — and don't sleep on the beach as a great place for grounding and connecting, as well as sparking creativity and joy.
"The ocean gently lures and seduces us into a mildly meditative state of calm focus and awareness," Kelly Alexander of Escape Haven wrote.
And perhaps most importantly in a capitalist society of never-ending stimuli, Alexander noted: "Being around water gives the brain and the senses a rest. The ocean simplifies sounds, offering a white noise that literally drowns out other noise and distractions. Visual stimuli is also softened and lessened, offering an unfettered horizon that is free from the flashing distracting bombardment of visual stimuli that we are so acquainted with."
As long as your chosen coastline is free from a floating commercial.
"Please tell me this isn't real," one commenter wrote, punctuating the sentiment with a vomiting emoji.
Sadly, many users noted how common beach ads and similar corporate inducements are — and one pointed out the curious origin of a different beach promotion.
"This is nothing new in NJ," they wrote. "We've had advertising planes and [boats] for decades and The discovery channel introduced an advertising blimp to us this year."
Someone else said: "I guess this would be useful if you wanted to get people to hate something. Maybe pay to put up ads for [your] competitors just to annoy people."
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