Musings- materialistic and hedonistic tendencies.

Although advertising and marketing in general are seen by many as necessary evils, it is nevertheless a fact of modern life. It seems likely that these will continue to exist for some time yet. Although they may be irritating at times, they certainly do seem to have their uses - without them there would be little incentive for businesses to give us the choice of what we want.

Advertising is a powerful tool for businesses and organisations all over the world, but it has its drawbacks when used irresponsibly. If they are not handled responsibly, advertising can be misleading or even blatantly dishonest in what is claimed.

Advertising has been criticised for its potential to encourage people to give in to their more materialistic and hedonistic tendencies. It may even be said that advertising is responsible for encouraging a culture of consumerism, which we are all familiar with today.

Indeed, many advertising campaigns are aimed at encouraging us to spend money on things that we do not really need. This may seem like a good idea for companies' profits and revenues, but it has its drawbacks.

Advertising is also accused of encouraging people to conform with the idea that bigger really is better. Buying things such as cars or houses that we do not need and cannot afford simply because others have them, can be seen as contributing to a culture of greed.

It may be argued that advertising is responsible for encouraging people to strive for things that are not really important in the long term. Buying products and services that we do not need, simply because of clever marketing, can be seen as a waste of resources.