As a kid, anytime I stayed home sick from school, I watched TV. I would see only advertisements for catheters and guaranteed-issue life insurance. They didn't

As a kid, anytime I stayed home sick from school, I watched TV. I would see only advertisements for catheters and guaranteed-issue life insurance. They didn't occupy much of my conscious thought. They were annoying at worst. When I watched TV during prime time and on the weekends, though, the advertisements were for toys and products that interested me. In the blink of an eye, my entire outlook worsened because I needed those things and didn't have them. The advertisements were also a great distraction from homework and chores.