Advertising is everywhere, and there are increasingly few places where you won't see a poster or video trying to sell you something.
But one of the few areas where you could usually guarantee a little rest from the constant bombardment of consumerism has succumbed, with a fiendishly clever method of getting products and services into the eyes of the general public becoming frustratingly common.
On the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, one user posted a picture of billboards placed on floating pontoons at the beach.
Maybe it's old-fashioned, but seeing a cryptocurrency advert while trying to soak up the sun or go for a dip isn't going to convince this writer to invest.
Redditors had similar feelings about the garish displays, with one user wondering, "Are we really getting this greedy?"
"Yeah.. this needs a quick legal action," added another. "This is no place for ads."
While this example appears to be stationary, other floating billboards have been attached to boats, creating an unnecessarily polluting way to annoy beach-goers who are trying to get away from the constant presence of advertising and screens.
Boats are typically powered by dirty fuel, which creates planet- and ocean-warming gases when burned and also presents a risk of harmful chemicals leaking into the water. And while boats at large obviously bring a lot of value to the world, they are also often made of fiberglass, and wear and tear and improper disposal are contributing to the plastic pollution that kills marine life and pollutes waterways.
The point is that using boats in situations that don't call for them just makes these problems worse. In any case, no one needs to see commercials while at the beach, or at least not when facing the ocean.
"It's sad and also crazy to realize at the same time, imagine trying to take a break from social media, electronics, or the internet and you go take a walk in the nearby state park only to find ad screens sitting on the side of every trail," one Redditor lamented.
"That's just obnoxious," said another. "Further proof that just because you can do a thing doesn't mean you should."
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