Question: “People today are far too easily persuaded to spend money on things they don’t need.” Do you agree that advertising has made us wasteful? [2022 Section C Qn 6: O Level 1128/01]
Question type and approach
| This is an argumentative essay. This model essay takes the stance that advertising has made one wasteful. The main discussion points in support of the stance are the increasing sophistication of advertising technology (ad tech) and the tendency of people to chase fleeting trends. Our counterpoint is that advertising can serve an educational purpose or for societal change, but that some of it is inherently one-sided/imbalanced in presentation and may drive some irrational decisions. Therefore, we should not buy something we do not truly need. |
1 What was the first thing you did when you woke up earlier in the day? Chances are, we reached for our phone, which has become a de-facto portable billboard given its technological advancements. Today’s brands face no lack of options or limitations other than budget. A near-ubiquitous penetration of online connectivity and mobile phone subscriptions has opened new avenues for brands to engage with us and vice versa. This brings with it all the trappings of advertising done “too well”, eliciting actions, sometimes impulsive ones.
2 Developments in advertising technology and refinement of strategies have made advertising much more efficient and effective. Companies have utilised the ubiquity of mobile devices to push personalised advertising. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have helped to streamline this even further. Getting an unexpected voucher on a food delivery app around mealtimes, for instance, may be more than just a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, influencer marketing repackages advertising into “relatable content” for target audiences. Brands offer incentives to influencers to post content that appears “organic”, driving impressions, brand recognition, and even sales.
3 With the greater awareness and reach comes the inevitable overspending from impulse. Consumers chase the excitement that comes from the hamster wheel of novel yet fleeting experiences. Trends are fickle, and once something goes out of vogue, it is tucked away. In other cases, individuals seeking a low barrier of entry skimp on cost, only to later realise the compromises made to bring said cost down. Eventually, passe or defective items are discarded, which leads to environmental waste. A shorter lifecycle means this process happens faster and more frequently, furthering the waste issue much more.
4 Advertising however should not be wholly demonised. Tearjerking advertisements depicting the loss of loved ones may be used to encourage people to purchase proper insurance coverage. Alternative, it can raise awareness on societal issues such as the dangers of illicit substances or for problem gambling. Such advertising sparks and facilitates further discussions, offering up solutions at times to address the matter at hand. Nevertheless, the underlying purpose of advertising is often to drive some kind of behavioural change in the advertiser’s favour. Many of these advertisements present themselves as the solution for a depicted problem; while not inherently negative, the information may be one-sided and not present the full picture. Ultimately, buying something you do not need is wasteful. It drains our own personal finances that could be expended more productively. In addition, it affects our future environment in the years to come by contributing to climate change.
5 Advertising has always appealed to our emotions. This has never once changed. What has, however, are the strategies and technological means at the advertiser’s disposal to influence our psyche. There is now a multitude of marketplaces for those on a low budget, and more saving “hacks” when consuming. However, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves – do we even need the advertised product in the first place?
Word Count: 494; upper limit 500
Vocabulary List
| Word/Phrase | Meaning + Explanation |
| De facto | Latin phrase meaning “effectively”; existing in fact or practice, although not intended or accepted |
| Ubiquitous / ubiquity | Very widespread; found everywhere.“Ubiquitous” is the adjective; “ubiquity” is the noun. |
| Influencer marketing | The practice of engaging influencers (both paid/unpaid) for advertising and promotion. Industry-specific term. |
| Incentive | A benefit given in exchange for a desired behaviour/action. |
| Organic | “Naturally developed”. In the advertising industry this describes content that appears “free from external influence or sponsorship”; something that the influencer “came up with on their own”. |
| Impressions | Advertising industry term for “views/view count” |
| Hamster wheel (of something) | Constantly participating or engaging in something, yet never reaching the end or achieving anything |
| Fickle | Changing frequently; not lasting a long time. Frequently used to describe interest/loyalty to something. |
| Goes out of vogue | No longer favoured or popularAntonym: “in vogue” – being trendy and popular“Vogue” is borrowed from French; it is pronounced “VOH-g” [g as in great]. |
| Barrier of entry | How accessible or easy it is to participate in an activity |
| Skimp | To give lesser attention/resources to something |
| Passe | Out of style; outdated.This originates from French; it is pronounced “pas-SAY” |
| Wholly | Adverb of the adjective “whole” |
| Demonised | To portray as threatening or wicked |
| Insurance coverage | A series of financial products where one pays a set amount, at a set frequency (known as a premium). In exchange, they receive a monetary payout when certain conditions are met (example: death of the insured) |
| Illicit | Illegal |
| Facilitates | Allows for; encourages |
| Inherently | By nature of |
| Means at [someone’s] disposal | To have a comprehensive range of available options to solve a problem |
| Psyche | One’s psychology; state of mind |
| Multitude | A wide range |
Important note regarding factual accuracy
This text was written to serve as a reference point for a language assessment. Any and all information presented here is not to be taken as researched fact.