In discussion of the effects of advertising on society, one controversial issue has been whether the end results of exposure to commercials and advertisements have been more beneficial or detrimental. On one hand, Stuart Alan in “Cigarettes”, argues that advertisements hold an unhealthy amount of power. On the other hand, Maria Culpa describes in a lecture how advertisements are a teaching tactic created to educate. The idea of the positive role of advertisements in culture is maintained by the American Red Cross poster- drawing interest for a productive and environmentally efficient activity as well as an exert from a book by Nancy Day describing the guidelines set by advertisements which improve our living. My own view is that because society…show more content… Like Maria Cupla said in her lecture, “ at it’s most basic form, advertising is teaching: pure and simple” We learn through the information given to us by the media. In recent years, the media and advertisement have become even more connected, and intertwined. What is advertised to us, is what we believe. But people like Stuart Alan in his essay “Cigarettes”, make the point that advertisement can hold to much power over those who see it. While there are extremes to this educational tactic, such as propaganda for thinking the way the national government wants you to think, the education given to us by the commercial industry is necessary for our way of life. When we were growing up, children’s television sold to us the ideas of respect and sharing, and as adults, our co-workers and friends sell to us their opinions. Advertisement isn’t an action done only by companies looking to rid themselves of a product, but it done in a much more personal way, in our everyday lives and…show more content… Like Nancy Day explained in her book “Advertising: Information or Manipulation”, advertisement can “inform us about candidates running.. seatbelt use.. the dangers of drugs.. and the problems with drunk driving”. Commercials can be lessons and reminders for constantly being alert about the way that we practice our life. They also set standards in many ways, and announce goals for us to try to obtain. For instance, a shampoo commercial might give instructions on how to use the shampoo nd show that results of a woman who had used that shampoo for a week every single night. Her luscious locks would be the inspiration for buying the product, but also the example of how out hair should be. The argument could be made that many of these guidelines are un-necessary, or as Renato explains it, “pushing us to buy the products that we do not need”. I agree with this assertion, but also believe that if it was not for advertisement we would not have a standards. The effects of advertising on society are more beneficial than detrimental because advertisement and the commercial industry help us to progress as a species. The American Red Cross Poster for a blood drive is an example of promotion for a positive cultural change, the lecture composed by Maria Culpa describes how advertisement can be used as an educational instrument, and a book written by Nancy Day describes how ads give us examples,
