Advertising has become an integral part of our lives, and it can be seen everywhere from television to the Internet. While it can be beneficial to society, it can also have a negative impact. Our analysis shows that if advertising spending doubles, there would be a 3% drop in life satisfaction. This is about half the drop in life satisfaction you would see in a person who has been divorced, or about a third of the drop you would see in someone who becomes unemployed.
Advertising makes us think that everything we need is for sale, and it gives us the wrong impression that money should be our measure of success and main goal in life. It also has a tendency to glorify attractive men and women, and sex and violence are prevalent in many aspects of society, including ads. Children are particularly vulnerable to these messages, as they may not be able to identify them as marketing messages and perceive them as truths. In addition, advertising can lead to social comparison, which can be emotionally damaging.
It also gives big companies with a lot of money a competitive advantage that may be on the verge of monopoly. Diet, exercise, and weight loss ads are especially pervasive during certain times of the year, which can lead people with low self-esteem to buy the advertised products in an effort to achieve greater thinness and higher self-esteem. Despite these negative effects, advertising can also be beneficial to society. It helps businesses reach new customers and increase their sales. It also helps inform people about new products and services that they may not have known about otherwise.
Overall, advertising can have both positive and negative effects on society. While it can help businesses reach new customers and inform people about new products and services, it can also lead to social comparison, give big companies an unfair advantage, and make us think that everything we need is for sale. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the potential negative effects of advertising on society.