Yep, I think ads is just another way of saying monetization. The app has lots of annoying notifications like "You might like...", "You got 100 upvotes", etc which, when you engage with more, they make more money through ads, coins etc.
Your attention, retention and engagement is a lot easier to manage and increase through an app than it is through website.
Your attention, retention and engagement is a lot easier to manage and increase through an app than it is through website.