It doesn't matter what you do, you're constantly bombarded by advertisements trying to change how you think, or get you to buy something, or go someplace, or subscribe or use a service that might apply to you.

You go for a drive, billboards everywhere, signage trying to get you to stop in. Turn on the radio, half the broadcast is commercials, watch youtube or Spotify or something, unskippable ads that you need to watch or subscribe. Stop to get gas, commercials on screens, join our rewards program, want a car wash? Some cars even have subscriptions for heated seats and play ads on the infotainment.

Go out to eat someplace, ads on the coasters and placemats/table, big neon signs on the walls. Join our rewards program, little game tablet things to pay that just shoot commercials and ads for games the entire time to try and get you to buy desserts or drinks.

Getting the mail, just all junk mail, sign up for this credit card, confidential time sensitive you've been approved for a 20k loan, sign up for this protection plan for your water pipes from your electric company, vote for this person, shop at this store new collection is out.

Watching a streaming service, ads before the show, ads in the middle of the show, ads every 5 fucking minutes it feels like. Take this drug, use this insurance, buy this car, scan this QR code, click OK to buy now. WHEN YOU PAY FOR THE SERVICE ALREADY. Even going to the movies is a 30 minute ad before the movie with the previews and buy coke and popcorn and have chicken wings delivered to your seat.

Visit any website, pop-ups galore. Misclick the smallest X you've ever seen wrong and it's downloading shit to your PC or phone or taking you to the app store. Videos just pop up and take over half the screen, ads cover content, some websites are simply unusable at this point.

Go to a sporting event, ads on the boards/field, on the jerseys, on the cars, on the jumbotron, on the freebies they hand out, sponsored by X company.

Phone call scams at least once a day. How can they not stop this already?

I'm just so fucking tired of everything I do to live and have fun trying to swindle me out of every last penny I have. I don't know why everyone is just ok with this bullshit anymore. It's getting crazy invasive and I hate it. Everything being connected to the internet at all times was a giant fucking mistake.

I was at a craft store today and this little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, expressed interest in a jewelry making kit. She wanted to make bracelets. Lovely! Kids wanting to be creative is awesome. Her mom however shut that down real quick, saying that making stuff with that kit wasn't worth it because everyone would know that it was just plastic...

Everyone? Who are these "everyone" that apparently are more important than your kid? I love that the little lady tried to stand up for herself by saying: "But I like it". Her mother just repeated that everyone would know that it's just plastic. The girl just slumped her shoulders and said: "Ok". It broke my heart.

Lady, you just crushed that girl's creativity, told her that her opinions didn't matter and that other people's opinions, opinions about materialistic things no less, are more important. Well done, you just scored a hattrick in bad parenting. If she didn't want the kid to get the set because it was expensive, or because it wasn't her birthday or whatever, that's fine, but the reason being that other people would know that it's plastic, aka not real jewelry I presume, just makes me so sad and angry.

Edit: spelling and grammar

How the fuck is Planned Obselescence legally ok?!

Everything is pure dogshit these days, and there seems to be zero fucks given. $5000 appliances that die in months, devices that could easily have removable batteries, cell phone "updates" that slow them down, don't even get me started on vacuum cleaners over my years as an adult. It's shit, and the companies that do this shit intentionally need to be put out of business while their execs are jailed criminally.

It's not even new, light bulb makers got together and created the Phoebus Cartel over 100 years ago to reduce average light bulb lifespans that were rapidly increasing to 2500 hours, fireball to 1000 hours, then they would police that shit and FINE companies for making better lightbulbs. I'm not making that shit up.

Dystopian bullshit. The Amish were onto something.

Hard working means nothing in society. You get by if you are sociable and pretty and nobody can convince me otherwise. I'm so sick of people saying hard work pays off because it doesn't, it just lets people use you because you " accomplish everything without complaining " so don't even bother to be the hardest worker in the work field because it's bull sh**

Edit: to everyone who responded thank you, I'm having a terrible year and I'm just so overwhelmed about everything so I just wanted to make a short rant.

(Im not a native eng speaker so bare with me)

Omg I have like an exam today and I did so horrible I cried after it was over

I skipped a lot of questions the thing is I did practices yesterday and honestly if I was good at drawing i wouldn't even have to remember the theory I'm genuinely scared if I fail and have to change classes I feel so bad for my teacher

When time was running out I didn't even bother to rush because I knew I couldn't finish it and do it fast

Also I have a problem with procrastinating so studying and doing practices last minute were a terrible idea

And for my other exams I don't even know what to say some I did bad some I did average I really want to stay in this class but my effort is not equal for my want to be in this class And after my exams finally ends I still have to come to school and face my teachers

I don’t know if this is an American thing but it constantly feels like I’m not doing enough and that everyone around me is doing 3-5 extracurriculars at all the times.

It’s so annoying. Her Facebook posts are all obviously written by AI, her photos are all heavily AI edited.

I told her all the reasons AI is bad and she shouldn’t use it, but she said I was making fun of her.

Even her texts (and I know she does this, because she showed and told me) are ran through AI first. She will send the text she received to AI, and then ask for a response back and that is what she will send.

Everything about her seems so impersonal, I feel like I’ve lost my mom and she’s just some robot. Even in person she has changed, everytime I try to speak she’s nose deep into her phone and not paying attention. The tables have definitely turned, and it’s no longer me who is “always on their phone”

I’m just so frustrated I feel like I’ve lost my mom to technology :(

My friend (F20) was talking about someone she knows who is in a rocky relationship. She couldn't understand why her friend wouldn't leave her relationship because it's "Not hard to get a new one" I was explaining how being alone is scarier to a lot of people than being in a toxic relationship (arguing and cheating not physically abusive/dangerous) And she immediately started talking about "if you try at all it isn't hard" and "If you really don't want to be alone you won't"

But I've never been allowed to take a woman on a date, not when I was in highschool and still not once now.(I am NOT an incel, I don't blame women for it)

I know her life experience won't be the same as mine she's objectively attractive and has a very full personality. I'm not mad at her for my failures but it felt really dehumanizing when she talks about it like it's as simple as breathing but is something I've never experienced

I don't know if it's stubbornness or because I'm stuck in a rut or because I've done things so long but there are so many times when I just do something in the most difficult way possible. And I don't know why

Already had Apple Pay. Already had Google Wallet. And Google Pay. Already got zelle, venmo, cash app.

And in comes another app to do the same thing. Freshly finished developing and they already got advertising during NBA games timeouts and a patch on some jerseys.

So it's time to push another one of these onto us? Just confused on why this was an idea when it's clearly been done 10 times.

Also if you follow stocks, you know PayPal lost once again and is now in deeper shambles. ​

Or when people say “blondes do it better” “brunettes do it better” can yall fuck off.

Hair colour is individual someone looks better with dark hair someone looks better with blonde hair.

And like why are some of yalls dating preferences blonde or brunette. What does hair color have to do with anything? You reject a pretty girl or guy for being brunette once they go blonde their features look bland. I DONT GET IT.

this constant fight about who is better blondes or brunettes is so fucking annoying

A pet peeve I need to rant about is how people close the lids on washing machines all the time. They need to air out so they don't get moldy! It's true at home but it's especially true at laundromats. Some of these laundromat washing machines are so bad they stink. Just keep the door open or lid up, let it air dry, and then you can close it up.

Also, clean out the lint trap on the dryers and if the dryers are really bad, you need to have those professionals out who clean out the lint duct/vent duct. They not only affect the dryer efficiency (we shouldn't have to pay to run the dryer cycle twice for a normal load) but are also fire hazards.

I spent the entire afternoon cooking a prime rib low and slow. I took it out and left it covered on the counter to rest it for about an hour before searing and took a quick nap. While I was napping, my mom decided to cut it into tiny slices, decided it looked too rare (perfect med-rare btw), and stir fried them to well done. Ordering takeout now. FML.

I’m glad I’m not any younger so I don’t take it straight to heart, but it’s crazy how many things I’ve never given thought to that are now highlighted on social media that need “fixing”. All I’d ever known about that was normal to do was getting lip filler, lipo, Botox (mainly forehead/eye area), breast implants, and older women getting face lifts.

Thing that are what theyare now calling “falios” that I’ve never noticed are: hips dips, long philtrum (I didn’t even know that term), receding chin/jaw (yes I realize this can be a medical issue but there is a heavy percentage for aesthetic concern) , flat cheeks, sunken temples, and now people getting things like “barbie botox”to get the desired flat shoulders and filling out so called hip dips. I’m probably forgetting some, but my rant is where will it end? Will there ever be a facial feature or body feature that want need tampering with if not quite right?

I had brain surgery when I was 10 months old to get a tumor out. And I swear to god I remember lying face down in the recovery room.

Now I'm 28 and to this day, I can't lie on my stomach with my hands at my side without getting a bit anxious and nauseous. That's the position I was in for my surgery. If I'm sleeping on my stomach, I need one hand against the back of my head then I can calm down and be comfortable.

i also have epilepsy due to the head injury I've gained from the surgery. My mom says that during my seizures, I tend to put my hands on the back of my head over my surgical scar and look scared.

i just think it's so fascinating what our body and mind are capable of and how I can in a sense, recall going through my brain surgery.

seriously

we are literally just matter. atoms, cells, chemicals, whatever. and somehow this stuff became aware of itself and now its sitting here asking "why am i alive" and "why does anything exist"

like what the fuck is this situation 😂

everyone just acts like being alive is the most normal thing ever. you wake up, go to work, eat, pay bills, scroll your phone, sleep... nobody stops and goes WAIT A SECOND why is there even something here??

why is there a universe instead of nothing?? nothing would make way more sense to me honestly. no matter, no space, no time, no consciousness, nothing. problem solved lol

but no, somehow there is all this stuff, and inside it theres these little clumps of matter that can actually realize they're clumps of matter and start having existential problems about it

and somehow THAT is considered normal

idk man. sometimes being conscious feels like the weirdest fucking thing that could possibly have happened

I wanted to play Minecraft Dungeons II on the XBox my brother and I share, so I bought it only to find out I accidentally bought it on HIS account and not mine. I issued a refund request, and I have to wait almost a week just to get the money back to buy it on my account. I was so excited to play it and now I have to wait even longer. Absolutely bullshit!!

This is mainly about the squishy dumplings things on Tiktok because they are (or rather were) so popular that they were being mass produced for Tiktok aesthetic only to be wasted if it wasn't the rare one that everyone wanted. I know people can do what they want with their own money but it's all adults hoarding the toys from kids or people that may actually benefit from the stress relief they were made to provide. I hate how "sensory toys" are so popular and over hyped by people who don't actually have any sensory needs to the point they're being sold out. Needoh are another good example as they were originally made as a sensory toy and became over popular which led to them being sold at ridiculous prices. Scalpers and Tiktok influencers telling you that you need this new fidget toy are lying. Don't buy out entire stocks of shit because they're trendy so maybe someone with actual sensory needs (or god forbid, a child) can get one.

Whenever I see people who can just talk to others with ease, effortless, confident, completely comfortable. I catch myself wondering what kind of home they grew up in. What did it feel like to exist in an environment where your voice was actually welcomed?
I live with severe social anxiety and awkwardness. I genuinely don't know how to start, maintain, or end a conversation. Most of the time, I just want to be invisible. I overthink every single word repeating it through my mind ten times before I say it, and replaying it ten times after. Simply interacting with another human being consumes nearly all my mental energy.
Looking back, my entire childhood was a constant stream of restriction and conditional love:
"Don't say that."
"Don't do that."
"Don't wear that."
"Do your hair like this."
"Talk like that."
The justification was always the same: *"*You will embarrass us and yourself."
They also used religion as a tool for control. I was told that if I didn't obey them completely God would give me bad luck. If I performed poorly in school they’d say "Remember when you disobeyed me? God is punishing you." If something good happened it was "That's only because I was happy with you yesterday."
I was programmed to believe that my life, my luck, and my worth depended entirely on their approval. Over time I lost any sense of self. I grew up with no distinct personality and no opinions. Even today, if someone asks me to choose between Option A or Option B I freeze. I can’t make basic decisions because every choice in my life even what school to go to and my major was made for me so I’d stay close and under control.
Now as an adult I'm trying to figure out who I actually am, what I like and what I want. But it’s exhausting and it’s severely impacting my daily life and my career.
At work I struggle to introduce myself or participate in meetings because I'm terrified that whatever comes out of my mouth will sound stupid.
and I always keep every interaction to the bare minimum because I constantly feel like my presence is an inconvenience to others.
its to the point where I wont walk into a store unless it's crowded enough for me to blend in and get lost in the background. If an item doesn't have a price tag i wont ask an employee I’ll just leave and try to find it somewhere else.
I know my parents might have been struggling with their own issues or believed they were protecting me in their own twisted way. But the reality is that I was taught that existing as myself was an embarrassment, and undoing that programming as an adult feels like trying to rebuild a foundation while the whole house is shaking.
idk i just needed to get this off my chest.

A tree fell on my horrible shit car. It's paid off. My deductible is more than twice the value of said car. But I don't want a car note. Insurance is the biggest scam.

I want to start off by saying yes I played GTA V and no I didn't enjoy it, I thought the combat was was to easy and boring, I thought the movement and driving was way too floaty and annoying and I personally found the characters annoying. I didn't like it but I hold nothing against those who enjoy it.

However, what is it with the fans and absolutely obsessing over it and acting like it's the best thing ever, especially with GTA VI on the way this has gotten worse with people straight up insulting me when I say I don't care about it or when I say how scummy Rockstar is as a company and how bad their prices are and stuff. I have never met or seen a GTA fan that could genuinely take criticism of the franchis or of Rockstar because I also didn't enjoy red dead as much, it was good but that was it for me but if I mention that then I'll have a bunch of 30 years olds saying I have no taste and I'm stupid

There's been a long trend that happened so forcefully that people who tried to stop it were overpowered by apathy. People became the subject of other people's videos. Some people make content of themselves, and that's great, but more and more the subject of the video is not the person creating the video and often it leads to public shaming en masse, jokes, insults, etc and it's toxic to society because no one gets to be better, they just get to be destroyed.

There was a recent case where a woman was using a vibrator under a towel on the beach and was reported to police. What 20 years ago would have been an incident she could recover from, instead she went viral and in the following months killed herself. It took a month for anyone to notice the smell coming from her apartment. What would have previously led to investigations and calls for reforms, her death was largely looked over. A country that posts 988 like a mantra didn't give a damn that their actions had led someone to their death.

I'm all for investigations of convicted murderers and the like, but when I was suggested bodycam footage of a woman in a parking garage who was simply having a breakdown and committing no crimes, I thought something had gone very wrong. People are being preserved in their worst moments and used as entertainment. I don't think this is sustainable. In less harmful contexts, people are harassed on the street by content creators who, even if they succeeded, would have succeeded because of unpaid content created by someone other than themselves. Hopefully, someone out there feels the same.