An ad-free house is definitely a good idea. I grew up in a household where we had a habit of always muting the TV when commercials came on. I really appreciate that that was a priority for my parents, and I think it was instrumental in my developing frugal attitudes in my life and rejecting at least some of the constant drive to get more and more stuff.
I can't help but think that, if our society didn't already have a tradition of mute buttons, that it wouldn't be allowed nowadays. "Giving the consumer the means to easily ignore the messages that support the content they enjoy? That's stealing!"
It's downright painful to experience the "normal" level of ads in everything -- TV commercials, ads on the Web, the insultingly obnoxious sort of ads that play on most radio stations.
I can't help but think that, if our society didn't already have a tradition of mute buttons, that it wouldn't be allowed nowadays. "Giving the consumer the means to easily ignore the messages that support the content they enjoy? That's stealing!"
It's downright painful to experience the "normal" level of ads in everything -- TV commercials, ads on the Web, the insultingly obnoxious sort of ads that play on most radio stations.