Advertising is an ordinary tool used by businessmen to increase their sales. It can be an excellent means of information, since you can learn a lot about the product without moving from your house. However, advertisers manipulate the information down in these ads in order to create new needs. Nowadays, ads are everywhere, but we do not normally take the time to analyze the message they leave us, which can be extremely harmful.
One main drawback of advertising is that it creates stereotypes. For instance, an ad to sell a new mobile phone, may include a blond skinny girl, although she is not related to the product. Consequently, many young teenagers link a ¨good¨ physical appearance with success. This ¨good¨ physical appearance might mean being extremely thin. This wrong perception of beauty is the main reason why young teenagers get involved with serious eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia.
On the other hand, advertising creates new needs. It is usually common to feel determined to buy a product after watching an ad. This is a consequence of the good use that advertisers make of convincing techniques. These techniques work subconsciously, making us desire the product. Although some people may argue that ads are a good means of information, it is not necessarily true, since most advertisers manipulate the information using innovating techniques in order to create nonexisting needs. Therefore, we have to be very careful when watching or reading an ad, because it can be misleading and confusing.
In conclusion, ads not only create new needs but can also have a negative impact on teenagers. The pressure that advertising puts on them with stereotypes could end in a problem such as an eating disorder. We need to be extremely cautious with ads in order to let businessmen have our minds in their pockets.