[adwhit]

> But Facebook only earns a few dollars per user per year, who in their right mind would turn off their adblocker for a few dollars?

This is a good point and it is interesting to think about the economic logic of advertising. It seems to me the burden it places on it's viewers is far greater than the (often questionable) value it brings to the advertiser. A huge unaccounted-for externality.

In fact, when you consider the huge psychological weight that a consumerist society places on it's citizens, and the attendant healthcare costs, you could easily make the case that even strictly in economic terms, advertising is a huge net negative, before even considering the social costs.

How much does my city make from all the billboards everywhere? It can't be more than a few dollars per person. I'd happily pay that much more in tax to have them all removed.

[proofbygazing]

> A huge unaccounted-for externality.

Not even close to the definition of an externality. Everybody involved in the transaction is there voluntarily.

[drb91]

Voluntarily implies some kind of consumer choice beyond “accept my terms or get the fuck off my site”.

Not to mention... ads affect us all. You’re delusional if you think it can be neatly packaged into a transaction.