A beachgoer sparked indignation online after sharing footage of a seemingly growing issue.
"There's ads on the beach," the perturbed observer (@whothehellisava) posted on TikTok. In the seven-second clip, a ship with a digital advertisement was seen cruising slowly near the shoreline.
@whothehellisava ♬ original sound - ESOSA||CONTENT CREATOR
While the idea of floating ads isn't new, it's certainly difficult to ignore the feeling that marketing efforts are generally becoming more and more "dystopian," as one commenter wrote.
According to Siteefy, the average person is exposed to roughly 10,000 ads every single day.
This not only negatively impacts people's wallets, with revenue from some campaigns being worth billions, but also their mental health, with Adfree Cities pointing out how unrealistic expectations tied to material items can create a "cycle of unhappiness."
Many people have turned to thrifting or upcycling to save money and cut down on waste, but millions upon millions of tons of trash are generated each year, including more than 100 million tons of textiles, which release a potent gas called methane when they break down.
And while alternative fuels and less-polluting vessels have been in development, ships are still typically powered by diesel, which can exacerbate respiratory issues such as asthma when burned — not exactly something vacationers want to deal with when they're trying to relax.
"It's all just a waste of fuel," another TikToker added in the comments section, highlighting the finite nature of dirty energy sources that have driven the overheating of our planet, which in turn has led to an uptick in extreme weather events and negatively impacted marine life.
"Why are they so desperate? Like, let me enjoy the beach at least," another TikToker said of the company that greenlit the floating ad.
"I totally forgot they used to fly planes with ads too," someone else wrote, highlighting another polluting advertising practice known to frustratingly disrupt the peace and quiet beachgoers often seek.
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