Inserts and the like

I have been torn between posting thoughts on my blogs and Facebook. Recently and regrettably Facebook has been winning. But now it's time for the blog. so, here it goes.

Most of you occasionally find inserts in your newspaper or receive them directly by post with a bunch of advertising in them. Many of you, I surmise, dutifully examine them for any "deals" that may be hidden in there. I don't and I actually strongly dislike receiving them and even detest their existence. Here's why.

I suspect that the advertisers' motivation for using inserts is to gain sales. Nothing particularly wrong with that as a concept. Every business's existence depends on selling what they produce. So, what's wrong with inserts? And here I will venture to answer this question without doing any research and base it all on my observations, common sense, and stuff I learned during my graduate study in business.

Many are susceptible to being nudged into wanting stuff they really do not need just because it is a "good deal." I believe advertisers know this and tailor the ads with that in mind. To me that is very unethical.

Then there is the rest of us. What is wrong there is that in the first place I did not ask to receive the inserts and am forced to deal with them one way or another (time, etc).

Then, lots of resources (paper, paint, storage, distribution, printing machines, and a lot of other direct and indirect investment) are invested in the insert I get only for me to make no use for it. Thus, they are wasted.

Next, my labor is exchanged for something I do not want and do not use. How so? Someone pays for the insert I get? Who? Well, it is I who pays for it (with money I got in exchange for my past labor) if I eventually use the advertiser's product and pay the regular price not taking advantage of the "deals" in the insert.

Bottom line is that I resent inserts.