it is important for us (the nerds with skills) to appreciate what the internet is like for those who aren't in the know. you and I will never see an ad, our grandparents will see thousands.

People are busy. Not everyone is willing to spend their time diving into the latest ad block tricks. Some have decided that it's a better use of time to just avoid sites that use dark patterns and aggressively anti-user-friendly design to get you to click on ads instead of the actual content you came to see. This doesn't mean they lack skill — it's possible they just have different priorities.