George Monbiot wrote this today in the Guardian:
The power and pervasiveness of advertising helps to explain, I believe, the remarkable figure I stumbled across last week while reading the latest government spreadsheet on household spending. Households in the UK put an average of just £5.70 a week, or £296 a year, into savings and investments. Academic research suggests a link between advertising and both consumer debt and the number of hours we work. People who watch a lot of advertisements appear to save less, spend more and use more of their time working to meet their rising material aspirations. All three outcomes can have terrible impacts on family life. They also change the character of the nation. Burdened by debt, without savings, we are less free, less resilient, less able to stand up to those who bully us.
I agree, wholeheartedly.
The corrosive power of advertising and its link to the financial crisis is a major theme in the Courageous State. I’m told it should now be on sale by 14 November. You can get a copy here.
8 Responses to “George Monbiot attacks advertising – as I do in the Courageous State”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
You will forgive me, I hope, for enjoying the irony of you plugging your book in a post decrying the evils of advertising.
I forgive you
Dear Mr Murphy
You have a huge amount of knowledge about tax and government finances have you ever considered collecting all the thoughts ideas in a book?
Now you mention it, maybe I should!
Decrying the corrosive effects of advertising with an advert. Viva la Revolución!
I am careful to define the power of the supply of information and to differentiate it from pernicious advertising in the book
“People who watch a lot of advertisements appear to save less, spend more and use more of their time working to meet their rising material aspirations.”
What was that thing about correlation and causation?
Pedant
Not meant as an insult
Meant as a fact