Popup Fatigue

Are popups becoming a nuisance again? I mean, they are an ever present nuisance, but I am talking about late 90s internet level of nuisance. For a history lesson, back then it was difficult to go online without being barraged and harassed by popup adds in your internet browser. What was most off-putting about them wasn’t so much the sheer number of them, but how if you clicked anywhere in them outside of the ‘X’ you were going to unleash an even worse popup storm. Compound that upon slow internet connections and you understand how the pop-up blocker came into popularity.

I do not know if I am just getting older but I feel like popups are everywhere again because they’ve escaped the browser. Part of this problem is I have let them into my life voluntarily. My Apple Watch is probably the worst purveyor and personal betrayer. I find that anytime I download a new app to my iPhone it also downloads to my watch, and then one day “ping” and “Save 10% on your next Uber ride!”. I recheck my notification settings that I was positive I put to “ignore,” the setting I was sure I set so that apps did not automatically download to my watch, and then delete the app until I actually know I’ll need it. All of this for a 30 minute drive from an airport (why can’t we just use taxicabs again?)

What’s worse is that it’s not even just your devices anymore, now they want into your SMS as well, which is still a sacred place in my opinion. I found myself this weekend at Microcenter Mall throwing a hissy fit when they asked for my phone number at checkout. My wife reminded me that I’ve picked up packages there before so they probably had it anyway. I held my ground, and the manager had to come out and tell me it was a protection against resellers, which I get (we were buying one commonly resold item). I acquiesced because I was told it was for that reason. And guess what? A ping on my way home “welcome to Microcenter Mall!” Oof. Betrayal.

A piece of me wants to go back to dumb tech. My attention span is shot. I am buried in work tasks, school tasks, family tasks, and home tasks. I can’t take another prompt for my attention. Something has to give. Am I the only one feeling frustrated?