Likely Normal

Amazon’s genius move of selling Kindles at a steal—as long as you’re cool with your lock screen moonlighting as a targeted book ad space—is like getting a free puppy… that occasionally barks promotions at you. For some, it’s a no-brainer: “Sure, show me ads! I’ll just pretend they’re literary recommendations from a very pushy librarian.” For others (ahem, me), it’s worth the extra $20 to not have my copy of War and Peace rudely interrupted by “50% Off Romance Novels!” like some paperback telemarketer.

But here’s the real plot twist: if we’ll tolerate ads on our Kindles, what’s next? Ad-supported toasters that burn “Try our new bagels!” into your bread? Smart fridges that play jingles before letting you grab a soda? “Subscribe to Spotify Premium, or we’ll sing you ads in the shower!” The future is a dystopian bargain bin, and honestly? We’ll probably take it. “Yeah, my TV pauses my show to ask if I’ve tried Oatly, but I saved $100, so…”

The secret sauce? Make the ads just annoying enough to notice, but not enough to riot over. Kindle ads? Fine—they’re like a bookstore’s polite cough. But if my thermostat starts pitching me NordVPN, we’re throwing hands. Final thought: If ads are the price of cheap tech, let’s at least make them fun. “Unlock your Kindle by identifying all the Harry Potter characters in this ad!” Now that’s value.