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From Influencers To Pop-Up Ads: 41 People Pick The Worst Human Invention
CuriositiesJAN 15, 2026

From Influencers To Pop-Up Ads: 41 People Pick The Worst Human Invention

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With technology and nearly everything around us developed in leaps and bounds nowadays, it’s clear that innovation has become one of the driving forces for change in our world. However, not all inventions or innovative solutions have resulted in positive change only, which is why some people would rather that they weren’t invented in the first place.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed what things they would like to “dis-invent” if they had a chance. With answers ranging from cigarettes to social media, netizens provided some interesting perspectives, which you can find on the list below. Scroll down to view their answers and learn what inventions might not have changed our world for the better.

#1

Young woman in casual attire eating pizza while recording content for influencer marketing with phone and ring light setup.
Influencers.
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#2

A man in a suit sitting with a young girl in a pink dress at a beauty pageant event with family interaction.
Child Beauty Pageants. They just seem really toxic and creepy.
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#3

Collage of intrusive pop-up ads and online dating windows illustrating worst human invention of annoying ads.
Pop-up ads.
ChefExcellent13:
The creator of them even apologized for creating them.
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#4

Consent form for advertising cookies requesting user agreement to personalized advertising and data collection with options to agree, disagree, or manage choices.
Mandatory cookies to view websites.
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#5

Bulldog lying on carpet in a home setting, illustrating a relaxed moment away from pop-up ads and human inventions.
Certain dog breeds, like all the brachycephalic (flat-nosed dogs such as frenchies and bull dogs).
Report
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#6

Self-checkout screen displaying tip options, illustrating one of the worst human inventions according to users.
The tipping option when I check out on those computers at the checkout counter.
Euphoric_Wolf7227:
Maybe tips in general. Just pay people for the work they do.
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#7

Car with headlights on driving at night on a dark road, illustrating the worst human invention concept.
Those nearly-blinding, unnecessarily bright car head lamps.
Report
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#8

Woman in tortoiseshell glasses speaking on a smartphone, illustrating frustration with pop-up ads and influencer culture.
Spam calls, robo calls, phishing emails.
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#9

A large pile of colorful used coffee pods symbolizing some of the worst human inventions impacting the environment.
Coffee Pods - they are disgustingly wasteful.
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#10

Close-up of chained hands showing metal shackles, representing one of the worst human inventions in history.
Slavery.
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#11

Retro style white microwave on kitchen counter with green potted plants and tiled backsplash, highlighting worst human invention concept
Planned obsolescence.
Jealous-Network1899:
Here’s my go to planned obsolescence example. My mom bought her first microwave in 1984. It’s traveled to 3 houses and still works perfect. She redid her kitchen and got all new appliances EXCEPT for a microwave. I have lived out of the house for 23 years and have had at least 7 microwaves. They keep cr*pping out and I buy a new one. That is planned obsolescence in a nutshell.
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#12

Empty hospital room with multiple beds and medical equipment, highlighting human invention and healthcare impact.
The medical insurance industry.
Perturabo_Iron_Lord:
The problem with modern insurance is that it’s been completely corrupted with the drive for profit. In a pure form insurance has the potential to be incredibly beneficial to the people who use it, but the profit incentive causes companies to use every trick and loophole in the book to not give out what is owed.
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#13

Antique wooden balance scale on table near window, symbolizing judgment and weighing human inventions.
Our two-tiered justice system; One for the wealthy and politically connected, and one for the rest of us.
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#14

Hand peeling off a wine bottle label showing the worst human invention concept involving packaging and waste.
That dumb paper sticker that gets put on stuff that is IMPOSSIBLE to remove cleanly.
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#15

Man holding a phone and credit card, representing pop-up ads and digital influences as a worst human invention concept.
Subscription services. Either let me try it for free then buy it full Price or let me rent it and charge me only for the amount of time I used it for.
Of course, it doesn't apply to everything. Subscriptions make sense for something like Apple Music, Xbox Game Pass or Costco, but I don't want to have to pay Adobe 60 dollars a month for Photoshop when I could just rent a license. You don't subscribe to a car, you just rent it for how many days you need it for.
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#16

Two professionals discussing and pointing while holding documents on steps, highlighting worst human invention insights.
The concept of lobbying.
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#17

Disassembled smartphone parts laid out on a wooden table, illustrating the worst human invention debate.
Phones and computers in which you can't easily replace the battery.
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#18

Close-up of discarded cigarette butts in ash, representing one of the worst human inventions affecting health and environment.
Cigarettes.
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#19

Smartphone screen showing social network apps, illustrating influencers and social media impact on digital marketing.
Social media. 
DestinyInDanger:
This! It was innocent in the MySpace days. Then Facebook came along and everything after that ruined it. I don't see anything good that has come of it. Nothing but toxicity, hate, division and arguing.
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#20

Person holding smartphone with TikTok app open, highlighting influencers as a key human invention concept.
TikTok.
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Asli Akalin
Asli AkalinBoredPanda Staff