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Comment by blacksmith_tb | Hacker News Reader

Well, working in ad-tech is pretty much bad from the get-go, this just seems like more of the same to me. To be fair, unlike VW diesels, it's also not directly damaging anyone's health, but it's still a nasty business.

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It's common practice in the advertising industry to exploit people's feelings of inadequacy. This is an industry that doesn't think twice about making an emotionally vulnerable teenager feel like a loser if they think it will help them sell some shitty product as the 'solution.' This is directly harming people's health.

Yes, I considered that, and I agree that it's an industry that does cause psychological harm to make a buck. But that still seems a little different than causing respiratory illness - maybe not that different, really...

With regard to particulate emissions, consider the role advertisers play in the deaths attributable to the tobacco industry. I'd wager more have been killed by tobacco industry advertisers than by VW engineers.

> it's also not directly damaging anyone's health

I completely disagree. Have you noticed how much targeted advertising has sold out our world and affected peoples ability to rationally think?

> working in ad-tech is pretty much bad from the get-go

No, it's the same as any other industry. A single company or negative behavior doesn't define everyone.

No, ad tech is well-known as the particularly abusive part of these monopolistic businesses.

It's a race to the bottom, and someone has to code them there. It's bad.

Advertising has done more damage to people’s mental health and self-image then just about any other industry.

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