Essay Topic 1: Banning advertisements

Banning advertisements: Should we ban some type of advertisements ?

A large number of researchers study the effect of tobacco and alcohol advertising. The relationship between the consumer is a complicated one to understand. It is clear that tobacco and alcohol advertising have health consequences on theirs consumers. I could say the same for junk food advertisements. In 2013 the United Nations (UN) and the American Center for Disease Control (CDC) both launched an anti-tobacco awareness campaign. The CDC's campaign featured former smokers describing their diseases and disabilities due to smoking. Nearly 20 percent of adults in the United States (US) smoke and 90 per cent of those started before they were 18 years old. Increasingly, companies are putting false informations in their advertisements to blind their customers of the bad ingredients as well as the side effects of their product. However, advertisements increase competition between companies which causes prices to decrease to the benefit of the consumer. Other benefits are advertisements about free clinics or blood drives which are positive for the consumers. However, it is clear that tobacco and alcohol consuming has increased since they have started advertising on television. I definitely think that advertisements that promote products that could ruin the customers physical or mental health without openly stating it's side effects or negative points should be banned.

Advertising is not necessarily a bad thing. It aims to present the product in the best way possible. Some will argue that advertisements are the only way of communication between company and customer. Companies advertise to increase their consumer base and profits. A few advertisements promote important social messages have come out in advertisements like « Friends don't let friends drive drunk ». Many public service advertisements have messages about health, safety and national security.

Advertising educates consumers about new products and services that can improve their lives.

It is obviously a vital and important activity that every successful company/business invests in. Companies spend up to $2.6 million for a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl. Ticket pricses would be higher without advertisements. Advertisements foster competition and innovation. It has a positive effect on the economy as it can help create more jobs and increase the demand for products and services. They pay for many services like transporters, porters and sellers. A few countries like Greece, Sweden, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates have already established advertisement limitations but some companies seem to object to that like the Toronto newspaper which says that it will defy the advertisement ban in the prostitution bill. Without advertising some free radio and TV channels wouldn't exist.

Some advertisements have false claims or hidden conditions. Disclaimers are often written in very small print on the very bottom of the television screen which very few people pay attention to. A lot of advertisements are therefore, a form of lying.

A lot of advertisements make people feel badly about themselves, encouraging women to feel like they should be tall and skinny and men like they should be athletic and virile. They show us unrealistic and unattainable images to make us be attracted to the product and picture ourselves like the actors in the advertisements. Advertisers do extensive market research to find the weak spot in their product's target audience. They can make people feel depressed and discontented with their lives. The beauty industry exploits women's insecurities to sell their products. The advertiser wants to consumer to behave or believe as he/she wishes. Advertising is virtually impossible to escape. It's everywhere, on TV, radio, newspapers, Internet, mail and billboards.

Certain advertisements are extremely damaging to our moral and physical health as they sometimes influence us to make bad decisions. However, we cannot ban all advertisements as that would be damaging to the economy and the companies. Our only choice is for the Government to ban any advertisement that represents a danger for the customers or advertisements without disclaimers at least in medium print. Advertisements with hidden conditions should be banned. For example junk food companies should state that consuming too much junk food can lead to obesity. However, if a company informs us of all the risks or effects of using their product vocally during the advertisement then it should not be banned whether the product is good or bad because the consumer is then full informed of the risks that he will take if he buys the product.