Advertising is a double-edged sword. It can be beneficial to society, but it can also have negative effects. Advertising can enforce stereotypes, put pressure on the media, and influence children's purchasing decisions. It can also create false needs and stimulate compulsive consumption habits.
In addition, it can lead to increased cigarette and alcohol use, obesity, poor nutrition, and eating disorders in teens. Despite the potential benefits of advertising, it is important to consider the potential negative effects it can have on society. Most of the time, advertisers use stereotypes in their campaigns in order to get more people to relate to their products. For example, most beauty products are marketed to women because they know that women use them more. But these stereotypes prevent society from advancing.
They tell us what we need to do to fit in. Advertising can also put pressure on the media. Commercial media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines, television stations, and radio outlets, need to sell advertising to stay in business. They are vulnerable to ads because they are more likely to accept them as reality, without the critical thinking skills needed to ask important questions. Children are exposed to various advertisements while watching their favorite programs on television, and these ads can influence their desire for products and their purchasing decisions. This has popularized the “attitude towards the advertising flow of research” which normally sees this construct as an intervening variable that mediates the effects of the advertising message on brand attitudes and preferences. Advertising has a positive impact on society because it helps to maintain mass media, which makes them much more economical for the public.
In addition, freedom of choice and entertainment supported by advertising, which often promotes social change, are two important components of society that are promoted through advertising. Calf, a former economist with the Trade Commission, argues that advertising is beneficial to society. We have an economic system in which people have to earn money to survive, no matter what manipulative techniques they use to achieve this. Despite the potential benefits of advertising, countries such as Sweden, Norway, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and England have all restricted ads aimed at children. Even though campaign advertising has been part of politics for more than five decades, academics still have conflicts over the effects of different types of advertising strategies. The negative effects of advertising on teens include increased cigarette and alcohol use, obesity, poor nutrition and eating disorders. The search for a better understanding of advertising as a communication model has led to some interesting research. Advertisers can pressure the media not to cover certain stories or to leave out some of the information. In conclusion, it is important to consider both the potential benefits and potential negative effects of advertising on society. While it can be beneficial in some ways, it is important to be aware of its potential negative impacts as well.