With a giant advertisement seemingly blocking the view for one building's residents, an onlooker took to Reddit to vent about the dangerous situation.
In a subreddit dedicated to less-than-ideal designs, the poster shared photos of a building in a low-income London apartment block. In one image, the two lower residential levels appear to have their windows completely shrouded by an iPhone ad installation.
"They decided to completely cover their tenants' windows with ads because who needs natural light and fresh air?" the OP wrote in the post.
One commenter highlighted how temporary advertisements — while an imperfect solution — can help pay for building restoration but was skeptical that's what was happening in this situation. Others were mostly outraged by the ad design and suggested lives could be at risk.
"This is just mind-blowingly f***** up," one person said.
"Looks like a life-endangering design if there was a fire," another pointed out. "This is most likely not legal."
"Next thing ya know they're literally going to be blocking the sun with gigantic ads in space," another commenter vented, highlighting how unwanted ads can feel nearly impossible to avoid, even when people are actively trying to find some peace and quiet.
Siteefy estimates that the average person sees around 10,000 ads every day, and this contributes to a planet overburdened by excessive consumption, with overflowing landfills releasing significant volumes of methane, a potent planet-warming gas.
What's more, according to the Global Footprint Network, humans are using resources 1.7 times faster than Earth's ecosystems can renew, suggesting it may be more crucial than ever to pause before purchasing new products — no matter how enticing they seem — and adopt more mindful consumption habits through upcycling, secondhand shopping, and supporting circular brands.
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As for the London residents, the Independent confirms their outside views were obscured for three years, with the building's occupants reporting feeling "claustrophobic" and "isolated." They said their landlord also warned them they couldn't cut holes in the ad to get more light.
"We can never get light in here. We never see the sun, it feels like we're blocked out from everything," said Sevineh Nazif, who lived in one of the Hackney flats. Ultimately, campaigning by policymakers and the building's residents led to the removal of the illegally placed ad in 2019.
"That massive ad doesn't even feel humane," one commenter agreed.
"Can't wait until billboards are banned completely," another suggested.
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