TRUE/FALSE
Those who argue that advertising promotes conformity and status seeking consumption behavior are rebutted by those who assert that advertising reflects, not causes, America’s age of consumption.
The correct answer and explanation is :
Answer: TRUE
Explanation:
The debate over the role of advertising in shaping consumption behavior has been ongoing for decades. One side of the argument claims that advertising directly promotes conformity and status-seeking behavior by creating desires for material goods that individuals might not otherwise need. These critics suggest that advertising plays a manipulative role, encouraging people to purchase products to achieve social status, fitting in with societal trends, or simply because they are made to feel inadequate without certain products. Essentially, this view holds that advertising plays a significant part in creating consumer behavior by influencing what people think they want and need.
However, the opposing argument is that advertising merely reflects the existing trends and attitudes of society. Those who subscribe to this view believe that advertising is a reflection of America’s consumer culture rather than the cause of it. In this perspective, advertising does not create new desires but rather mirrors the already prevalent status-seeking and consumption-driven behaviors in society. According to this argument, advertising is simply responding to the demand and serving as a tool to inform potential customers about the options available, helping them make informed decisions about their consumption based on their existing desires and aspirations.
In essence, those who argue that advertising promotes conformity and status-seeking behavior believe that advertising plays a causal role in shaping consumer habits, while others contend that advertising merely reflects the culture of consumption that already exists in society. Both arguments highlight different perspectives on the relationship between advertising and consumer behavior, but it is generally accepted that advertising influences consumer choices to some degree, whether by promoting new desires or reinforcing existing ones.
Here is an image reflecting the relationship between advertising and consumer behavior. It visually captures the idea of individuals influenced by advertising to make consumption choices, emphasizing aspects like conformity and the desire for status.