Earlier this morning, I was watching videos on YouTube that were to my liking. Then while watching a video that was titled "iPhone 5S and 5C Drop Test!" I thought about this prompt about advertisements. I then proceeded to disable an add-on for my browser called Adblock Plus. This add-on makes it so I can have an ad-free experience on YouTube and other media sites that have ads plastered on their front page. Once I disabled Adblock Plus, I refreshed the page and the video opened up with an ad about T-Mobile's JUMP program. I was not surprised to see an ad from a cell phone company on a video about cell phones. Certainly, ads about topics that can relate to people will catch their attention but I on the other hand, could care less about advertisements.
With Adblock Plus disabled, I went on another website I frequently browse, tickld.com. The website allows users to post images, quotes, comics and other mediums that according to their motto, "Spread Laughter and Cure Boredom". While scrolling down the page, I saw two ads on the right hand side of the screen, one ad placed in between two posts and another ad on the bottom of the page. I calculated that each page of tickld.com has 4 ads and if I were to go through 10 pages of tickld.com, I would be exposed to 40 advertisements. Even with the clever placement of the advertisements, I did not process or remember a single one after my time laughing at the various posts.
I do not care for advertisements while browsing the internet but while watching a show on television, I get annoyed at the frequent commercial breaks during a 1 hour show. The placement of the advertisements during a one hour show is what really annoys me, not the content of the advertisements. Usually, an episode has a climax that is followed by a 3-5 minute commercial break. For some, this commercial break lets the viewer wait anxiously for the aftermath of the climax. For me, the commercial break is there to make me mad and wonder when the show will continue.
I believe that the media is there to entertain the audience. I
understand that for a media source to be free to the consumer, advertisements
are placed so that the source can make money from the audience.
Thanks Matt. I have the same question for you that I had for Will (and one other) earlier. Why does Youtube need ads? What costs are the businesses covering for Youtube by advertising on their website? Youtube does not have to pay a mortgage or pay actors. Where does the advertising revenue go? Any idea?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your post is good. The placement of the ads in television media is suspect. One of your peers addressed how all commercials run at the same time on every network. Why? Why do all ads run simultaneously?
I think the only criticism I would offer about your post is that it does not really follow a logical progression. You start by talking about Youtube, and then you transition into television. Then, at the very end, you finally answer the actual questions. Your organization seems random, not cohesive and tight.