I don’t hate paying with ads; that’s a bargain!

As the old saying goes, if something is free, you’re not the customer; you’re the product. It suggests that the only thing actually being sold is your data and engagement. True as that might be, paying with data or ads (instead of blocking ads) is usually a win-win scenario in my eyes.

This won’t be everyone’s view, but as a millennial, I remember the days when there was very little free digital entertainment. If you wanted legal digital content or good games 30 years ago, you invariably paid money for them. These days, the vast majority of digital content I consume is free. I do have some paid subscriptions, but between things like gaming, YouTube, social media, and especially podcasts, I get endless entertainment at little to no financial cost. That will never fail to impress me. And it’s not like there weren’t ads in the pre-internet age. We’re just asked to pay a bit more attention to them now in exchange for a free ride.

Given that you’re here, I know you won’t be completely against this business model. Android Authority is partly kept in business thanks to the sponsors around this article you’re reading. The adverts (and my lukewarm takes) might frustrate you at times, but you probably agree that they’re preferable to a paywall.

I’m not completely naive — I know my data is being relentlessly harvested and shipped out to the highest bidder. My social media habits are sold to corporations that use them to target me with ads specific to my interests, and buyers of data may not always act in the most ethical manner. I’m looking at you, Cambridge Analytica.

But these practices are going on anyway. Even if you’re not benefiting, your personal info is being bought and sold all the time. We could talk about how loyalty cards or frequent flyer miles work, but even the most privacy-conscious people often give away their data for no return. Almost anyone with a modern smartphone is shedding location data showing where you like to go and what you like to do, which can be rolled into targeted ads. Then, there are things like property records and voter registration data that can be used to build a profile about you.

It’s hard to avoid leaving a digital footprint that can’t be exploited, so I just lean into it to get something in return. It doesn’t even feel like much of a sacrifice, especially compared to the alternative of a monthly payment leaving my account.

And I like to think that the results don’t have a big impact on my life. For example, I never buy something based on adverts alone — targeted or not — as I always favor genuine reviews over promotional content. Likewise, I’m not too worried about my newsfeed being manipulated by algorithms. I have my own leanings, but I actively seek out different sources of information and question the possible motivations beyond anything presented to me. I accept that many of us think we’re above gentle coercion, just as 65% of Americans believe they are above average intelligence. I just mean that any effect on me feels minimal at best.

Paying with ads or data might be a bigger deal for me if it was the only option, but we usually have a choice. Cheapskates like me can freeroll on ad-supported content, and those who are cash-rich but time-poor can get a more premium service by paying. Companies aren’t doing this out of the kindness of their hearts — they need to compete for your attention in a crowded field.

In the case of mobile gaming, for example, it’s rarely sufficient for a developer to give you a short demo of the game, hoping you’re intrigued enough to pay for the full version. The more profitable model is full and free access, but with in-app purchases for the gamers they can hook and ads for players they can’t. Even then, a fine balance has to be struck regarding the number of ads so that users don’t get too frustrated and turn their attention elsewhere. It’s a buyers’ market.

While I’m lucky enough to have a few bucks spare if I want to go premium on content or services now and again, many millions of people in the world aren’t. This is another benefit of ad-supported models — they can make entertainment or education accessible to people who might not otherwise have the means to pay. As long as you have access to a device and an internet connection, you can get almost unlimited amounts of content without spending another dime.

Whether I’m the customer or the product, I’m happy enough with the system and milking it for all its worth. Podcasts alone make me feel like I’m cleaning up. I probably listen to at least three episodes of podcasts each day. Now, imagine if they cost me $1 each. Of course, they could never charge that in this market, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable for an hour of entertainment. That would add up to over $1,000 per year, and you can even skip the ads in that format!

Paying with ads or data isn’t nothing, obviously — I’m just saying that it seems like a good deal to me. I don’t love the idea of nefarious actors knowing as much as they do about me, but as long as they don’t hack my bank account or frame me for a crime I didn’t commit, I can live with it. As Faustian pacts go, you could do a lot worse.