But advertising experts agree that crummy ads — some just irritating, others malicious — appear to be proliferating. They point to a variety of potential causes: internal turmoil at tech companies, weak content moderation and higher-tier advertisers exploring alternatives.

Scammers and hackers will often try to redirect your attention through pop-ups. If you notice a sudden influx of ads on your phone, you may have a malware infection from downloading an infected file or tapping a malicious link.

The annoyance we feel towards online advertising can be attributed to a combination of factors, including interruption overload, distraction dilemma, and cognitive overload. These elements negatively impact our user experience, making us associate negative feelings with the ads and even the brands they represent.

Nearly 3 out of every 4 users (74%) think there are too many ads. The number grows to 78% for adults 35+ years old. 63% of users say they only see a few things advertised, over and over again.