In today’s social media age, advertisements play a significant role in the consumption of particular products. Some argue for their benefits for the customer base, while the others argue that advertisements promote frugal spending. In my opinion, the value of advertisement in the larger society depends upon the self-restraint of its receiver.
On the one hand, consumers benefit largely from advertisements. They get vital information regarding products or services they are interested in. With the increasing use of social media platforms and always developing algorithms tracking each search, query, like, or post of a user, advertisements are largely personalized. Due to this, a person only gets exposed to advertisements of relevant products. It is especially true for Instagram and other collaborative media outlets. Therefore, it is no surprise that such exposure to relevant advertisements can be considered advantageous for many who are careful with their money.
On the other hand, those who lack resilience when it comes to spending will end up wasting a large portion of their funds due to advertisements. Major corporations and industries try to target those with weak willpower with their flashy advertisements, making bold claims of changing their lives with their services. For instance, gambling addicts or alcoholics will hardly be able to control themselves once viewing what they are addicted to. This will undoubtedly cause the unnecessary depletion of one’s financial resources. Thus, the opponents of advertising correctly argue for its harmful effects on society.
To conclude, while advertising has both advantages and disadvantages, it largely comes down to a customer’s willpower and self-restraint. Those devoid of such qualities will end up allocating one’s money for things they should rather stay away from.