‘Don’t You Have Friends?’ Stop The New Triggering Ads, Spotify; They Make Me Sad

Spotify India, your new ads are borderline insulting to the listener, and triggering for those like me who use music as an escape from day to day loneliness…

‘What are you still doing here, Don’t you have any friends, is that the reason you are listening to me?’ If you are an ordinary Spotify member like me who hasn’t taken the premium account, you may be frequented with these ads.

You are listening to some song, and at the end you hear such things to make you buy Spotify premium, where you will be able to have group songs and download songs if you pay some money, as well as have it ad free. But why should ads that are worded to trigger listeners pop up in the middle?

Of course, like any business, gradually ads started coming in. One ad after like, a few songs, were Ok – and the ads were funny then. After a few months two new ads came which were alright too. One was about a road trip, and another about serving food interruption. I soon got used to these ads too.

Triggering Spotify ads

But a few months ago, Spotify started this new ad strategy for making users switch to premium. The ad now featured either a boy or a girl, saying insulting and triggering things like – what are you still doing here, everyone in your family is on Spotify premium, do you not have friends, that’s why you are listening to this ad…

I didn’t like the accusatory tone of the ad. I felt targeted emotionally, making me think I don’t have friends, and it made me lonely.

Music is an escape; how fair is it to put in triggering ads?

I listen to music because it soothes me. I listen to it alone, because there are some things you like which others don’t like. Music gives me strength, joy, and soothes me. I don’t want it to make me feel uncomfortable. And these ads that pop up so unexpectedly do make me feel uncomfortable.

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Why should I be pressured like this? If someone goes to listen to music for escape from life, then aren’t these ads triggering a type of situation labelling you as a lonely social reject?

Stop this, Spotify!

Rather than letting us enjoy music, which is the actual purpose of the app, for their own profit reasons Spotify is unnecessarily subjecting us to subtle insult. Disrespecting us.

I have a right to listen to whatever I want. I don’t need validation, and if I want to listen to something with other people then I will; it should be my choice rather than systematically making me feel like a loser.

Think about it Spotify India, Is your ad campaign actually helping people in enjoying music, or are you having a negative impact on their mental health…?

Image source: mikoto.raw on pexels

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