I’m old fashioned. I watch “The Golden Girls”  on a daily basis and my house phone is still a thing.

Living in such a face-paced world catches up to you eventually. The constant, unending, and down-right intrusive stream of notifications is overwhelming. So at the end of a typical day in my busy college schedule, I just want to unwind and detach from the world around me for just a few moments (if that’s at all possible, given that we live in the digital age). I love my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram timelines as much as the next millennial, but there comes a point in time where I only want to connect with those in which I actually have a desire to hear from, and nothing else.

And sitting at the top of my Do-Not-Disturb List are advertisers and marketing campaigns.

In a time where everyone not only has something to say, but a legitimate platform in which they can express and articulate their message as well, my attention has become a commodity.

The truth of the matter is that I ignore advertisements just like I would the fly that I’ve been trying to get out of my apartment for the past two days, or how I would ignore my mother when she nags me.

But since I can’t escape the constant bombardment of content around me, I created a list of the best ways advertisers and marketers can get my attention in the most pleasant, and enjoyable of ways:

1. Don’t Interrupt My Flow. Be a Part of It. 

Like most humans, I am a creature of habit. And like most millennials, I am a creature of habit with little time to spare. So when I do finally take the time to get my news off of Twitter or keep up with my high school friends on Facebook, I would rather not have that moment interrupted by a message from a “friendly” sponsor.

Give me the option to choose whether or not I want to consume your product.

Embedded tweets and posts into my timeline are the best way to get my attention because I’m more likely to pause for a moment and think “When did I start following Cover Girl? Oh they have a new mascara? That reminds me, I need to pick some up the next time I go to the store.”

I see social media and digital content as experiences that would occur in real life, but just over a screen. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am interrupted or cut off when I am speaking, because it makes me feel like no one values what it is I have to say. So if marketers and advertisers want my attention, my personal experience on social media should be valued to them.

To me, that care is shown by not interrupting the time I am taking out to connect with the rest of the world. Be an asset to my digital experience, not something that trips me up.

2. Being Down to Earth.

Advertisements are created by people. They are consumed by people. Do you see a theme here? People are at the center of everything in this digital world. It’s not some abstract, far away concept that no one can touch or has access to.

To grab my attention, it’s important for advertisers and marketers to have a voice and tone that I can connect with. Using humor, or the same language I would use to communicate with my friends and family is more likely to have me believe that the people running the show are people that I might actually like in real life.

This is especially important for brands and companies that I am actually a fan and regular consumer of. Consider a fast food giant like Taco Bell. Their Twitter page is hilarious! It makes me (rightfully) believe that the people behind the scenes are like me, and that they’re not selling me some sort of gimmick, or wanting me to buy into a dream that they don’t even believe in themselves.

Taco Bell and chill?

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) September 15, 2015

3. Don’t Generate Insensitive, Unthoughtful Content.

Even in the year 2015, there are still many challenges that this nation faces in race relations, and understanding the many intersections of social groups that Americans live in. As a working class African American woman, and a journalist in the making, I take very seriously the messages put forth in the media that are isolating to certain communities.

I feel uncomfortable enough navigating a predominantly white institution as a student on a daily basis, and dealing with systems that were created to see me and the rest of my community fail. So when I am on my phone, computer or watching my TV, that is a safe space to me. It’s mine. I don’t want to feel marginalized even in my own home.

Advertisements are marketing campaigns that don’t take these things into consideration are sure to get my attention, but not in a positive light.

Consider the recent marketing campaign from one of America’s favorite fast-food spots (and one of my personal favorites as well) KFC. I took notice over the summer of commercials featuring the chain’s mascot Cornel Sanders, and couldn’t help but cringe.

I understand that KFC is trying to rebrand themselves as a company, but I believe it is at the expense of making a few people like myself squirm every time one of their advertisements pops up.

The marketing of the fast-food giant as America’s beloved restaurant uses a rhetoric that I don’t entirely connect with. Images of the colonel in their recent commercials don’t make me think of all the joy that KFC’s food brings me. It makes me think of a point in history that this country has yet to face the truth about, and quite frankly, makes me question how creators of this campaign thought it was a good idea.

Just like any other person, I like being able to relate and connect with my surroundings. So if marketers and advertisers have to be a part of my daily experience and want my attention, it’s important to produce content that will make me believe I am actually a part of the demographic they are marketing towards.