I’ve been using the internet since the 90s. Originally I was very pro ad, since it meant that we wouldn’t end up with paying subscriptions for every site on top of internet utility bills. But around 2010 or so I got malware from an ad I didn’t even click on - all it had to do was load on the page. The site issued an open apology but it’s not like they were going to pay repair costs for everyone’s computers. After that I knew neither websites nor ad suppliers were vetting what they display to users. Companies only get more complacent as time goes on, and once the option was out there bad actors would only get more creative. I’ve used ad blockers ever since.