What if we banned all advertising? Not regulate it—abolish it. This proposal would transform manipulation machines, and maybe save democracy itself. A thought experiment worth considering.

The idea feels like sci-fi because you’re so used to it, imagining ads gone feels like asking to outlaw gravity. But humanity had been free of current forms of advertising for 99.9% of its existence. Word-of-mouth and community networks worked just fine. First-party websites and online communities would now improve on that.

The traditional argument pro-advertising—that it provides consumers with necessary information—hasn’t been valid for decades.

    • masterspace@lemmy.caEnglish
      11·
      7 days ago

      Lmao, and all that history and economics taught you just these two lessons?

      • If something wasn’t illegal previously, that makes it impossible to make it illegal
      • Marketing is cool and awesome, and totally a necessary part of society that has always existed in every society, so there’s no point trying to ban it

      Let me guess, you went to American schools? Learned all that America History ™?