The Negative Impact Of Advertising And Its Impact On Society

Advertising is an exaggerated reflection of life and founded in some of the perspectives the audience may have of society. While advertising does have a negative impact upon society by frequently portraying stereotypes, materialism and sex appeal as a method to sell products (Pollay, 1986), it is also true that society shapes these advertisements. Advertisement being a force upon the population is just as true as the statement that advertising is shaped by the population. In admitting that both of these statements are true, it is clear that advertisements inflicting the portrayal of certain negative concepts is caused by a society holding these values and beliefs. As advertising is moving forward it is becoming more filtered to suit the values of an individual as well which holds contention towards Pollay’s statement. Pollay has a valid point that advertisements does have a negative effects upon the viewer. However, it is a question about whether it is the responsibility of the advertiser to change the values of advertisements to suit more ethical values.

The effect an advertisement has upon an individual is strongly linked to the individual and their receptivity to the advertisement. Within Yeshin’s writing he notes the fragmentation of mass media. Television used to be

For example during the 1920’s one of the most highly valued concepts was getting married and having a family. Advertisements reflected these aspirations. William O’Barr calls this “the middle class talking to itself”. He displays this through a listerine advert. One of the lines within the advert is “her primary ambition was to marry”. When we look at this perspective of advertising it becomes clear that while the idea that media is making a victim of its audience the same can be said about the people constructing these advertisements by supplying them with the group values to fabricate an idealized world within an