>Advertising has real value in making markets efficient. If Bob's Bait Shop has a 50% off sale, or if a new shop opens in a town, a lot of people would really w

>Advertising has real value in making markets efficient. If Bob's Bait Shop has a 50% off sale, or if a new shop opens in a town, a lot of people would really want to know, and advertising fills this gap. The businesses get more profit, and the customers are able to make more informed decisions. My argument is that customers do not get to make informed decisions when they are shown ads. Customers are manipulated to make the decisions that are profitable for Bob's Bait Shop. The only way for the ad to benefit the customer, is when the customer intentionally seeks out the ad. Classifieds in a newspaper exist as such solution. Important part is identical formatting, without any ads standing out visually, sorted by category. Any other form of ads IMO is unethical and immoral.