Advertisements do more harm than good.

Topic: “Advertisements do more harm than good.” Discuss.

Outline:
1. Give a general explanation and an example of advertisements.
2. Describe how advertisements can do harm.

- They make misleading claims which can cause frustration.
- They create a materialistic society.

3. Describe the advantages of advertisements.

- They inform the public of the available products and services.
- Advertising contributes to the economy of the country.
- The competition promotes production of better quality products.

4. Briefly conclude that advertisements are necessary but stringent measures should be used to control them.



In general, advertisements promote products or services to the public. Advertisers use all sorts of gimmicks to promote their own product. For example, fast-food restaurants promise attractive toys and prizes in “scratch and win” competitions. As a result, children badger their parents to take them to that particular fast-food restaurant.

Many advertisements make misleading claims and promise instant solutions to people’s problems. For example, an advertisement may depict a pimply boy being surrounded by pretty girls as soon as he applies a particular brand of pimple cream. Though many know that this is an exaggeration, they may still cling to the hope that it may be true and rush out to buy the cream and try it out. When the claims are not matched in real life, it can cause a lot of frustration.

In my view, the greatest harm advertisements cause is that they nurture superficial values in people. People lust for products they cannot afford and some even resort to illegal ways of getting money in order to obtain them. This in turn breeds a class of snobbish people who only respect others for the material things they possess.

However, advertisements are inevitable in a modern society that depends on trade and production. Advertisements inform the public about the products that are available in the market.

Furthermore, advertising is a booming industry. This contributes greatly to the economy of the country. In fact, advertisements create competition among producers. As a result, they constantly try to upgrade the quality of their products and services to outdo their rivals. This also encourages creativity and talent among the advertisers.

In conclusion, I feel that it would be impossible and unwise to ban advertisements. However, I feel that it is important to control their influence. The government can do so by imposing stringent rules on advertising methods.