Advertising in modern society is ubiquitous – on the radio, TV, the internet and in our letterboxes! While advertising has many benefits, the negative influence of advertising outweighs the positive.
It is true that advertising provides us with information on new products. If is were not for electronic and print advertising, many products would not be bought. In this way, advertising provides an important service to manufactures and some consumers. Additionally, it fuels the advertising industry, creating jobs for thousands of people.
However, for many people advertising is an ‘unwanted intruder’ that comes into their homes. Television commercials are a great example of this. Just as we are enjoying a TV program, a commercial break occurs, forcing us to listen. Print-based advertising is also an intruder in many people’s homes – letterboxes in my city fill up with pages and pages of advertising for products for which consumers have little or no use. Advertising can also foster greed. People can become greedy for a new product or image, they can become discontent with hat they already have. In the end, the consumer is never really satisfied, always wanting ‘newer and better’ products. Telemarketing is another common form of advertising. Advertising people make telephone calls to unsuspecting homes (usually around dinner time!!) trying to convince people to purchase their products or services. This kind of advertising is probably the most intrusive example of advertising and it can cause people to become very angry.
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