Attention is a precious resource.
For those with an aversion to advertising, here is a catalog of techniques to avoid them, ranging from the offensive to the defensive:
If you can’t change the channel, your best option is to look away.
No! Harry, no! Don't look at the light!
I can't help it...
-- A Bug's Life
Press mute or turn down the volume. If all else fails, remove your headphones (and look away!)
Skip ahead, or fast forward, if you’re given the option. Some video providers allow you to skip after a certain number of seconds – just be careful, since it’s holding your attention. You might find yourself sucked in.
The only reason the ad is there is because your eyeballs are there. Sometimes the only option is to flee.
Digitial ads can be blocked using “ad blocking” software. These range from browser extensions (like uBlock origin), to DNS ad blockers on your local network (i.e. pi-hole), to the hosts file on your individual machine.
If you can’t avoid digital surveilance, sometimes your best option is to confuse the algorithm. Click everything. Flood the zone. If you can’t beat 'em… confuse 'em. Google banned the Chrome extension AdNauseum for doing exactly this.
Vandalism can be effective in neutralizing the potency of physical ads. An alluring face on a billboard is less so when it is missing a tooth, or sporting an eye patch. Graffiti works too.
Since “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, a parody risks being more complimentary than subversive. At its best, a parody will poke at the underlying absurdity of the original, but at its worst it will generate even more “impressions”, driving it deeper into the popular culture.
Of course, ads wouldn’t exist if they weren’t making money for someone. If you care about your content, and your content creators, sometimes the best approach is to pay up. Unfortunately, you may still see ads, and you will likley still be tracked!
related ideas: