Today, online ads continue to proliferate all spaces that we as consumers occupy. In the modern age, how do companies keep up with their consumers, and continue to feed their shopping addictions? There are many ways that a company may try to catch your attention and cater to your interests. Some may be sneakier than you think, and come up in unexpected ways. With just a few scrolls on Instagram, you may see several sponsored posts pop on your feed.

These ads range from booking your next vacation, to getting free supplies from your favorite brand of makeup. Some ads though, aren’t so easy to skip, like on the video platform, YouTube.

It is no secret to consumers that, with time, advertising has become more intense. Advertisements over 90 seconds long that frequently interrupt viewing experiences has become the standard. “[The longest ad I’ve ever seen] was about four minutes long,” said a junior at Grayslake Central High School, who preferred to remain anonymous for this story.

Cable television is also infested with ads, with talk shows and soap operas overrun with extended breaks begging you to pull out your wallet for a candy bar or new shirt. Even paid streaming services, such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are introducing ads to their platforms to garner additional revenue. The primary purpose of streaming services initially was to have a place in which a wide selection of media was available, all of which were ad-free and uninterrupted. However, as streaming services introduced ads, their original purpose has become defeated and lost to time. The same anonymous source also said “when I’m watching shows, and ads are constant, [it’s really bothersome]. And they take forever too, they take nearly three minutes to just get through.”

How can you avoid ads?

Although it seems like the sea of ads will never end, there are ways to reduce the amount of ads seen. According to cybernews.com, you can use ad blockers, some free, like Total Adblock and uBlock Origin. You can also adjust your settings to opt out of ad personalization, clear your browsing data, adjust browser settings, and use ad-free versions of apps or websites. These services may help relieve you of the overwhelming modern ad experience.