Everything is an Ad Nowadays

My new daily challenge:
Move through daily life without consuming any ads.

Success rate when I’m at home and don’t use the internet: 100%
Success rate when I go out for a walk: 98% (occasional posters on street lamps)
Success rate when I use the internet: 0%
Success rate when I go out to the city: 0%

It’s nearly impossible and I continue treating this as a parcour:
Put out my feelers everywhere I go. As soon as I sense unwanted information incoming, I divert my eyes: from advertising pillars, to any public screens, to posters.
I overcome attention obstacles by looking away, focusing intensely on a specific thought I’m consciously choosing or whatever music I’m listening to.

The way from home to the train station may be ad-free, but as soon as I enter the train, it starts: screens displaying news about politics, soccer games, and ‘celebrities’ I’ve never heard of. Posters on walls inside the trains or at train stations in the city. Throughout the city, on every corner, ads want to grab my attention. Lately, a German model in lingerie is looking at me everywhere. Once, I went down the street, lost in thoughts, and suddenly caught myself thinking about war.
Weird, I thought. I don’t consume news these days.
But, involuntarily, I do: I just passed a life-size digital screen manipulating the unconscious citizen with a bite-sized piece of information about foreign affairs disguised as neutral political news.
Okay, I’m not even sure if news lately has any intention about being neutral and citizen-serving. As with anything, it is a matter of perspective.

I’m lucky that I currently live in a suburban area that doesn’t have a city vibe at all and is surrounded by greenery.

Up to this point, I only talked about the physical realm.

Don’t get me started on the digital landscape.

The benefit of being a late millenial is that I still have memories of life before social media. I played outside as a kid, invented my own games, and practised the violin for 9 years without filming myself once (my mum did, though, at my performances).

I’m not the first one to address the rapid change in the digital space through commercialisation and flood of (trash) content, nor will I be the last.

I recently remembered reading about celebrities who have insured their body parts that are essential for their work (legs, butts, vocal chords etc.).
We’re talking about insurance of up to three-digit millions.

I was wondering: as an artist, besides from a healthy body, what is my greatest asset?
A non-scattered mind that isn’t bothered by non-consensual content.
A soul that is not constantly penetrated by flashy messages.

How much would it cost to insure my mind?

Every non-consensual ad that crosses my awareness: a damage to my focus and my mood. Any second of attention and energy lost on a piece of information that can go directly to the trash folder: unaffordable.

I’m completely exaggerating here, and I’m not. I’m convinced that we’re so desensitized and numbed out these days, that no horrific insight would really shake our worlds anymore.

Screen addiction is a global disease and should be equated with use of heroin. Somewhere we’re all more or less aware of this, but I think that we have to multiply our gut feelings, that tells us that something is VERY WRONG, by at least 100.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is important to inform oneself in some ways about the world around us. For people to express their opinions on topics relevant to them. (As I’m doing here.)

I’m not against ads.
I do enjoy all the benefits of city life and social media in moderation.
I’m against the intrusive delivery of ads and messages that is currently happening in online and offline spaces.
I’m against sneaky ways of manipulation and non-consensual data collection and processing.
I’m against the repetition of certain messages planted into my unconscious mind that alter my thoughts and behaviour.
As a highly sensitive person, I’m feeling 10x more than the average person anyways. So simply imagine the constant overwhelm I’m dealt with when entering the city or social media. I can get used to the noise over time, with a rapid decline in mental health.
As of now, I’m in a phase of observation and continuous detox (from city or internet) to increase my sensitivity again and thus be able to write about it.
I’m all in on taking ownership about what I can change in my own life:

• Stay away from anything that sucks my energy
• Be willing to pay for services
• Select very consciously what I want to consume, who I want to surround myself with

I don’t welcome any type of radical approach as a solution per se, and want to stay openminded about my beliefs and practices. Hence, I’m curious what I’ll learn and how I’ll change my mind in the future.

But I’m extremely tired.

Tired of serving as an open receiver for all kinds of opinions & thoughts that I didn’t consent to.
Tired of being so limited in my ways to move ANYWHERE these days without being bombarded by unwanted information.
Tired of seeing privacy, a non-negotiable human right, being watered down to serve a capitalist model. Boundaries dissolving in front of our eyes.

I feel violated.

I’m concerned. Very concerned. ‘Ein besorgter Bürger’ they say in Germany.

I don’t want to jump into wild conspiracy theories and conclusions. But reality is so fucked up on many levels, and looking away and numbing doesn’t work anymore.

So what to do?

Breathe.
Change, no matter how big or small, always start with a first step.
Sometimes, years of accumulated frustration and anger can be fuel for great change.

I’m making lists about digital hygiene.
I’m consciously planning my leave on social media while taking my content with me.
I’m educating myself about social media, privacy and data.

I’m surrounding myself with likeminded people.

Let’s see where this journey goes.