argument top image

Is advertising morally wrong?
Back to question

Advertising feeds insecurity

Vanity and materialism are two of the biggest problems in the world. Everyone believes that if they don’t have a certain car, house, or jewelry that they won’t seem successful. Advertising encourages people to look at their neighbors enviously.

The Argument

People have a lot of self-esteem issues because they compare their lives to others. Social media is one of the main reasons people have self-esteem issues, because it encourages people to put across an image of perfection and materialism.[1] Whenever an influential person advertises a product they enjoy, others will want to buy it too. Using influential people in advertising is a marketing tactic used to bring the celebrities’ fans to a company’s products.[2] When people see something that everyone has but they know they can’t afford, they feel left out and ostracized. This encourages people to spend money they don't have.

Counter arguments

People have their own style. Trends aren’t important. Advertising is catered to individuals who want the product, not huge groups of people.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] People compare their lives to others. [P2] Influential people are used in advertising. [P3] Trends and advertising make people feel excluded and encourage them to overspend.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Materialism isn’t the only cause of insecurity. [Rejecting P3] Not all people follow trends.

References

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/oct/09/age-envy-be-happy-everyone-else-perfect-social-media
  2. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-advantages-using-celebrities-advertising-34394.html
This page was last edited on Monday, 20 Apr 2020 at 09:23 UTC

Explore related arguments