Skip ads on OTT, minus the fuss

Streaming platforms have decided to turn the clock back and bring this generation what the previous ones managed to run away from: streams of ads between programming. Ads are now to be increasingly found, anachronistically, on more and more OTT platforms. But instead of fuming like an RWA uncle, why not treat these ad breaks as a gift? When the screen suddenly blares at you about IPL or insurance, leap off the couch, stretch and declare, 'I shall not be sold an iMac today!' Use those 3 mins to water a plant, stare meaningfully at the ceiling, or practise your acceptance speech for an award you'll never win. In the cable era, people ignored ads with the grace of monks ignoring temptation. They wandered to the kitchen, went to the loo, dialled phones. You, too, Gen Alpha, can now reclaim that noble tradition with streaming getting 20th c.-style greedy.

And if you truly crave uninterrupted control, migrate to OTT platforms where you alone decide when to pause. No hidden pricing, no surprise jingles - just you, your show and your freedom to binge, until your bladder intervenes. So, let's stop treating commercials in between movies and shows as interruptions. They are home theatre intervals, opportunities to ignore advertising that advertisers can continue to think we watch. No need to let them know it's a waste of their money and time.