The Smarmy Side of “Free”

How much time do you spend on social media?

I don’t spend much—probably less than an hour a day—but even in that short time, I see more misleading ads than I care to count.

And they’ve got me pegged, too. You know how algorithms work: you click on one thing, and suddenly there are eighty-seven versions of it chasing you across the internet, day and night.

I’m getting a little older and, like most people, sometimes what I see in the mirror doesn’t exactly make my day. So yes, I’m curious about things that might help. Lately, I keep seeing ads like “Face Yoga — Start For Free” and “Get a Free Face Yoga Chart.”

It’s a common tactic—reciprocation marketing—give away something small and people will feel inclined to buy. So I click through, thinking maybe I’ll get a free week if I sign up for a month. Five weeks for the price of four—seems fair, right?

I answer all the little questions about my age, habits, and lifestyle. Those answers mean nothing, of course. They’re just there to make me believe the program is customized for me. It’s not. It’s generic. But I play along, curious to see what’s next.

And then comes the big reveal:

No free week. No free chart. Just a “limited-time offer” to sign up by the week, month, or quarter—lower cost per day if I commit longer, but all due up front. Better decide in the next ten minutes!

Could I afford it? Sure. Do I want to do it? Of course. But the setup feels dishonest. Smarmy, even.

And I don’t do smarmy.

So I click out. Nope. Not getting my money.

Here’s the thing: AI is a wonderful tool—it can find just about anything. If it exists online, AI can locate it. And yes, it helped me find legitimate, time-tested Face Yoga exercises.

And I organized that information into an eBooklet that includes five seven-minute routines: general use, anti-aging, calming/night-time, morning/energizing, and a few extra moves for areas that deserve a little extra attention.

If you’re interested, it's on my new page Booklets & Guides.

I suppose that makes me one of the salespeople now—just without the glittering promises or suspicious countdown clocks.