I suspect that when presented with the actual "cost" of reading an article up front, most people realize that they just don't actually care that much about read

I suspect that when presented with the actual "cost" of reading an article up front, most people realize that they just don't actually care that much about reading it. When the cost is indirect (via ads) and deferred (in terms of the effects on the entire system, leading to what we have today), it's a lot easier to ignore.