The advent and expansion of the media era have opened doors for various avenues of advertising. With millions of individuals engaging in activities like reading magazines, watching television, listening to the radio, and browsing the internet, they are consistently confronted with advertisements for various products and services. While the emergence of media has empowered us and expanded our understanding, we witness its repercussions in our personal lives and society overall. The utilization of deceptive assertions and manipulation in advertising has detrimentally impacted society, exerting influence on the upcoming generation of consumers.
Advocates of advertising argue that ads have a beneficial effect on our economy and encourage competition among businesses. Nevertheless, this advantage comes at the cost of our vulnerable youth. Today’s society sees teenagers as a significant consumer group, with their purchasing behaviors often carrying over into adulthood, as Nancy Day points out (Source D). As a result, businesses strive to focus on teenagers to integrate their products into their lives. Furthermore, adolescents are extremely susceptible to influence, making them an appealing target for businesses.
Advertisements have a negative impact on teenagers. They present unrealistic situations and promote bad moral behavior. For instance, magazines featuring stick-thin models influence teenage girls, leading them to desire ultra-slim figures. This can lead to unhealthy eating habits and disorders. Advertisements also encourage teenagers to use alcohol and tobacco. Brand of beer commercials are so prevalent during TV commercial breaks that it is impossible to avoid them. These ads depict alcohol consumption as fun, enticing teenagers to participate in the activities being shown. Advertisers argue that it is ultimately the consumer’s responsibility to make moral choices, as they are merely presenting their products” (Source F).
However, advertisers spend a great amount of time and money studying how to attract and control consumers of all demographics. This is what makes advertising dangerous to teenagers, as it has the power to manipulate. False advertising and exploitation are the foundations of advertising. While advertisers are aware that they cannot make outright false claims, they often distort the truth to promote their own products. Businesses have become proficient at targeting various consumer groups and using a range of advertising tools to reach them. Each day, millions of people are manipulated by advertisements into feeling dissatisfied and believing that they absolutely need the products being advertised.
Using their “psychological hooks” (Source E), businesses “push us to purchase products that are unnecessary” (Source F) merely because they appear trendy or are endorsed by our beloved athlete or actress. Moreover, companies may amplify specific attributes of their products or make ambiguous statements that seem credible, conveniently neglecting any adverse qualities. The promotion of cigarettes also served to “sustain the social acceptance of smoking and foster the misconception that the majority indulges in it” (Source B).
Cigarette companies engaged in deceptive advertising by purposefully leaving out details about the health risks associated with their product to drive sales, regardless of the harm it caused society. This strategy, called card stacking, is a widespread practice in advertising. The manipulative and misleading nature of advertising has had an adverse impact on society. Although advertising has become deeply rooted in today’s culture and society, its effect on the younger generation has resulted in detrimental outcomes as consumers are manipulated and presented with inaccurate or distorted portrayals of products.
