I Browsed Without Ad-Blocker. It Was Unusable.

I haven't surfed the "raw" web since 2012. I use Brave Browser, uBlock Origin, and Pi-Hole. I live in a sanitized, quiet version of the internet.

For this experiment, I used a fresh Chrome install with ZERO extensions. I visited the top 20 news and recipe sites.

The Visual Noise

The first thing you notice is the movement. Everything moves. The sidebar flashes. The bottom corner has a video playing. A banner slides down from the top. A chat bot pops up.

I visited a popular Recipe Site to find a lasagna recipe.

Recipe Site Breakdown

I had to scroll past 4 screens of "My grandmother's story" (SEO text), dodging 3 video ads that followed me down the page ("Sticky Video"). When I finally found the ingredients, a popup asked me to subscribe to a newsletter, blocking the screen.

The Speed Drop

I ran speed tests on `CNN.com`.

• With AdBlock: Load time 2.1s. Data: 1.5MB.
• Without AdBlock: Load time 14.5s. Data: 18MB.

You are paying for this data. If you are on mobile data, you are literally paying cash to download ads for erectile dysfunction pills.

The Dark Patterns

1. The "X" Hunt: Every popup has an "X" to close it. But they hide it. Sometimes it's tiny. Sometimes it's white-on-white. Sometimes clicking the "X" actually opens the ad.

2. The Fake Download Buttons: On file-sharing sites, there are 5 giant green "DOWNLOAD" buttons. 4 of them are malware ads. Only the tiny grey link text is real.

Conclusion: The Web is Broken

The "normal" user experience of the web is hostile. It is an assault on attention. It feels like walking through a bazaar where everyone is screaming at you and grabbing your arm.

Ad-blockers aren't just a convenience anymore; they are a digital health requirement. Browsing without one felt like having a mild seizure.