IELTS WRITING TASK 2

This is my second attempt for this topic. Any feedbacks would be really appreciated

Advertising discourages people from being different individuals by making us want to be and to look the same.To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In recent decades, advertising has become a booming industry, making a paradigm shift in the life of every citizen. Although advertising activities lead to higher product sales, in my perspective, they appear to significantly compromise people’s individuality.

First, advertising has the great potential to influence public perception, which enables people to think in the same way. In fact, cosmetic advertisements would trick gullible individuals, especially women, into believing some common beliefs about beauty. For example, the standard of beauty defined by these advertisements would render women susceptible to an inferiority complex, ultimately persuading them to maintain better looks using the advertised products. In addition, as commercial advertisements come into play, people tend to place their trust in popular misconceptions that have no scientific basis. For instance, portrayal of women in advertising would strengthen the negative stereotypes towards them, thus resulting in unintended consequences.

Besides, advertising has greatly contributed to conforming behavior among individuals. First, customers would blindly follow the trends created by advertisements, as they wish to keep up with the modern world. Studies have shown that many citizens have been manipulated by advertising companies, which convinces them to purchase identical products. Second, by owning similar products advertised by well-known companies, people would likely be subject to group conformity. For instance, if mobile companies, such as Apple, were to promote various high-end products, customers would rather stick to these trendy devices, which potentially prevents them from being distinctive.

In conclusion, advertising does more harm than good since it discourages individual uniqueness. A smart customer would consider his or her situation thoroughly before purchasing any advertising products.