Move over YouTube and Instagram — the next frontier for ads might just be the toilet. A viral video shared by China Insider shows a woman in China standing before a high-tech toilet paper dispenser that doesn’t roll out tissue on its own. Instead, she is forced to scan a QR code with her phone. Once scanned, she faces a curious choice: pay a small fee of about 0.5 RMB (seven US cents) or watch an advertisement to receive a small portion of toilet paper.
A Futuristic Solution to an Old Problem
According to a report from Futurism , the system is designed to prevent waste and discourage misuse. While the idea sounds dystopian to many online viewers, it responds to a real issue. Toilet paper theft has been a recurring problem in China for years, especially in tourist-heavy spots where free bathroom supplies often disappeared faster than expected.
Back in 2017, a New York Times report detailed how even park managers were left baffled as locals, not tourists, routinely stocked up on public restroom paper for home use. One service worker told the paper, “The people who steal toilet paper are greedy. Toilet paper is a public resource. We need to prevent waste.”
What makes this system striking is not just the theft-control angle but the commercialization of a daily necessity. Watching a promotional clip to access toilet paper feels like an extension of the digital ad invasion into the most private corners of life. For some, the setup looks efficient and innovative; for others, it feels like a parody of capitalism.
The Bigger Picture
Public restrooms in China typically operate on a bring-your-own-toilet-paper system, and the presence of dispensers is still a relatively new convenience in some areas. As authorities and businesses experiment with ways to reduce misuse, adtech seems to have become an unlikely ally.
Whether this approach will spread more widely remains uncertain, but the video has sparked global conversations online. The real question now: would you watch an ad for free toilet paper, or drop a coin and move on?
A Futuristic Solution to an Old Problem
According to a report from Futurism , the system is designed to prevent waste and discourage misuse. While the idea sounds dystopian to many online viewers, it responds to a real issue. Toilet paper theft has been a recurring problem in China for years, especially in tourist-heavy spots where free bathroom supplies often disappeared faster than expected.
Back in 2017, a New York Times report detailed how even park managers were left baffled as locals, not tourists, routinely stocked up on public restroom paper for home use. One service worker told the paper, “The people who steal toilet paper are greedy. Toilet paper is a public resource. We need to prevent waste.”
What makes this system striking is not just the theft-control angle but the commercialization of a daily necessity. Watching a promotional clip to access toilet paper feels like an extension of the digital ad invasion into the most private corners of life. For some, the setup looks efficient and innovative; for others, it feels like a parody of capitalism.
The Bigger Picture
Public restrooms in China typically operate on a bring-your-own-toilet-paper system, and the presence of dispensers is still a relatively new convenience in some areas. As authorities and businesses experiment with ways to reduce misuse, adtech seems to have become an unlikely ally.
Whether this approach will spread more widely remains uncertain, but the video has sparked global conversations online. The real question now: would you watch an ad for free toilet paper, or drop a coin and move on?
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