Nobody wants to pay directly ($) or indirectly (ads) for news, content, entertainment, videos, games, etc. Do most folks genuinely not understand there is a cost associated with the production of the above, or, do they believe it is being subsidized by fairy dust and magical unicorns?

It’s all about how the product is designed. Products should be designed in a way that entices people to make purchases, not force the purchase down the customers throat with excessive advertising or near-mandatory microtranactions.

I make microtransactions or spend extra for quality products. When the advertising is excessive or extra purchases are basically mandatory I refuse to support the company.

Most people don’t make anything or run a business, and so have no idea. Nor do they want to know.

Actually plenty of people don't mind paying for things.

What you are describing is how a marketplace's choices affect what is sold. The problem is that massive companies don't want to change their formula that has worked forever but consumers no longer want what they are offering.

Beyond those living in poverty, I've never seen anyone that isn't willing to pay for something they want or need.

The problem is most companies focus solely on how their stock is doing in the short term rather than thinking ahead because the people who work there don't plan on being there long enough for later to matter. What they end up doing is devising ways to make money without offering anything new. Locked in contracts at gyms that have spilled over to spas and even supplements is one example and microtransactions are another. This has been very effective for companies in the last 10 years but consumers are now realizing it and aren't happy.

The fact is not that people don't want to pay it's that the product isn't worth it.

Plenty of folks will pay for it.

The problem starts when a company starts double dipping by trying to obtain extra payments via ads, micro-transactions, DLC, etc.

If the product was worth a damn, the extra silliness wouldn't be necessary.

shut up meg

There's different kinds of ads however, I draw the line at audio and video, that takes effort from me. I look at news like information, people seek it out so ads make sense to me, throwing in autoplay ads just results in people getting their news on social media.