Advertising Synthesis Essay

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Advertising Synthesis Essay The growth of media has paved the way for numerous outlets for advertising. Millions of people reading magazines, watching TV, listening to the radio and surfing the web are constantly bombarded with ads for different products or services. Although the creation of media has given us great power and knowledge, we see its consequences in our personal lives and in society as a whole. Advertising has altered the perception of wants versus needs, which has led to a significant change of the economy and its consumer capital. Whether many would prefer to admit or not, advertising has changed society- modifying the way Americans think and act in today's day and age, though not entirely for the better. Over the years, the wants and luxuries of Americans have progressively changed into their "needs", caused by the numerous persuasive advertisements that convince the viewers that their life would drastically improve if only they had the said product. As Sesana states, "they create unfulfilled desires... to buy products we don't need", referring to the strategies used by advertisers to create a driving want to self-indulge for the customers (Source F). Separate groups are targeted in different ways in order to appeal to the different wants of each group, thus making the want that much stronger (Source H). These tactics summon a sense of need that, in turn, cause people to believe whole-heartedly that the product is a necessity, however, in reality, it is merely a luxury. For example, braces have become intensively popular within the last couple decades and are now considered by many a need. Indeed, it is nice to have perfectly straight pearly-whites, it is not nearly a necessity by any means, but rather a want by many crooked teeth victims. As a result of advertising, society's views of wants versus needs have altered dramatically, causing people to
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