Advertising

by Adam Wells

I find it painfully interesting to muse on how advertising make us less free. Consider the following argument: The purpose of advertising is to peak our desires of products: sneakers, foods, cars, drugs and so on. According to a host of wise people, religious, spiritual, and otherwise, it is desires that take us away from a more ideal life, God, or enlightenment, for example. In sum, desires create suffering. This applies both to individuals and humanity.

When we desire, we are not satisfied. When we desire we feel we are lacking something. This could be anything from more genuine human interaction to more shoes or more beer. Ads channel this human desire to consumptive goods, goods that we buy from people making money. From a broader perspective, desires create vast amounts of suffering for people and the ecosystems that they inhabit.

As a nation, Americans consume enormous amounts of products that are not produced within sight. Indeed many of these products are produced in less than desirable conditions across oceans. Consider how often something that is consumed in this nation was produced at the cost of the happiness, health, or wellness of a human being.

It is reasonable to say that much of this consumption is driven by advertising. When we look at our consumption in this way, it becomes obvious that advertising is truly an evil force in modern times in that it is horrifically unhealthy, both physically and spiritually for both consumers and producers.

I would not hesitate to claim that advertising is one of the most awful and horrific inventions that humans have ever conceived. It makes profits for a few while fueling systems of oppression and suffering for billions of human beings. I am reminded why I avoid television at all costs.