Advertisements are popping up in new places, including your next Calculus test.I love flying. Despite the crowded airport and stuffy cabin and overly talkative stranger sharing my armrest, I love flying.
Unfortunately, my affection for flight was recently put to the test. You see, as much as I love flying, I love not being broke even more.
On a recent flight, I had to pay to check my luggage. I'm sure you're not surprised. I wasn't either. I was surprised that I had to pay for an in-flight beverage. The standard diet coke is no longer free, at least on the shall-remain-nameless airline that I chose.
So I shut my eyes as the bev cart rolled by, knowing that I didn't really need the caffeine. Afterall, I wanted to sleep.
I have a very specific position for plane sleeping. It involves putting the tray down, leaning forward, and resting my head on my crossed arms, which are resting on the tray. It also sometimes involves drool, but since I was parched due to the lack of refreshment, I hoped that wouldn't be a problem.
Imagine my surprise when I pulled my tray table down to find it covered in an advertisement. Not only was this airline charging me to bring a suitcase and drink a soda, they were making money off of my very presence. An advertiser paid the airline to make me look at an ad on my tray table.
The truth is, I don't remember what the advertisement was even advertising. I was just surprised to see it. I quickly lost interest and assumed the plane sleep position and plane slept for the duration of the flight.
It's time to face the facts. Advertisements are invading.
While the prospect of an ad war is frightening, I invite you to explore the positive side of ads in new places.
One example is ads on clothes hangers, coming soon to a closet near you. These clothes hangers are actually an improvement over wire-hangers: not only are they stronger, but they're better for the environment. Oh, and they're free.
My favorite example of the invasion of ads for the greater good is a high school teacher selling ad space on Calculus tests. Faced with budget cuts, teacher Tom Farber turned to ads to cover the cost of printing tests.
Apparently most students enjoy the advertisements, which appear on the first page of each test, and often include inspirational quote.
Something like "Try not to fail!" and "Should have studied more!" I'm kidding.
Of course, students would prefer the advertisements to include more useful information, such as solutions to test problems. But nothing in life is free, not even a can of soda on your next flight.
What do you think? Would you welcome advertisements on your exams? If so, what kind of advertisements would you like to see? Go ahead and create one if you're feeling so inclined. The ad space below is all yours.
