Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve spur lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with?

Essay topic: 
Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do not need.
Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve spur lives.
Which viewpoint do you agree with?
In this increasingly materialistic society, an average person can be bombarded by hundreds of advertisements daily, thus, it is virtually impossible to escape their influence. Though some of them are so persuasive that they lure us into unnecessarily opening our wallet, others are sources of beneficial information.
To start with, government campaigns towards regular health screening are most welcome since the latter may shield us from diseases in the likes of obesity, cancer and diabetes. In a similar line, though supermarkets may appear to boost their bottom-line by encouraging the sale of disposable bags, these products, nevertheless, are a small step towards preserving our environment. Hence, some advertisements are intended to improve our welfare.
However, cut-throat competition among brands has triggered a wave of aggressive marketing campaigns. While some brands still resort to the traditional methods such as playing ads during peak audience time, novel ways of promotions have also emerged. Social media including Facebook and social events, for example, flash mobs, are capturing every morsels of our life, leaving little room for ad-free moments. As a result, we may eventually give in to the continuous imploration of these companies. These enticing communication methods further empower individuals to act as brand ambassador and broadcast their favourite products among friends and relatives. These, in turn, improve their appeal to a point whereby their peers end up emulating them, though they may receive little benefits in the process.
Nevertheless, though some products may not have an apparent need at the time of their launch, they may eventually revolutionise our lives. As such, while horses were a convenient method of transport, the invention of automobiles enabled individuals to reach their destination quicker. Nowadays, urging people to revert to horses will most likely entail disastrous effects on our social life and business activities. Therefore, those who promoted more efficient methods of transport should be praised.
To conclude, although consumers have the final say in buying a product, the ingenuity of companies often exceed imagination, compelling most individuals into the final act of buying. Fortunately, other advertisements can be informative and enhance our living standards in the long term. Therefore, people are considered to be selective in responding to promotions, opting for careful reflections instead of impulsive shopping.

flaws: Sentence Length
flaws:
Sentence Length SD: 5.752 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.778 0.12

Attribute Value Ideal
Score: 8.0 out of 9
Category: Excellent Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 0 2
No. of Sentences: 18 15
No. of Words: 373 350
No. of Characters: 2070 1500
No. of Different Words: 240 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.395 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.55 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.996 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 171 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 130 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 92 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 74 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 20.722 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 5.752 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.778 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.277 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.524 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.068 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5