People are believed to be less affected by advertisements that are shown in official sources, like on TV and newspapers, than in the past. In my view, this phenomenon is caused primarily by the shift in the behavior of audiences toward modern social media platforms, and it can bring negative impacts to society.
The continuous drop in the number of viewers that TV or newspaper advertisements can reach might be the consequence of the change in the watching habits of audiences. This is attributed to the fact that the news provided on social media platforms is much faster and cheaper than on TV or in newspapers. Instead of having to wait for a specific time in the day and pay to get the news, people today can simply go online and get the news they want, both national and international, instantly and freely. For example, instead of having to go and buy a newspaper every day, people can simply go to online platforms such as Facebook or X to have the most up-to-date news posted by reliable sources like the government or organizations.
However, trusting too much on the Internet can make people exposed to misleading ads. That is because unlike newspapers and television programs with many layers of evaluation, people can post whatever they want on social media. As a result, many people might actually believe in these fake advertisements, which can lead to scamming or even health problems if that product is medicine or food. For example, many people are reported to be scammed after purchasing products on Facebook through the advertisements of anonymous salesmen.
In conclusion, advertisements are less effective on television and in newspapers due to the appearance of social media platforms, which attract a large number of audiences from these original sources of information. However, it is a negative trend because many people can take advantage of this to make scams online through unverified ads.