Recently, I discussed the pervasive nature of advertising in our society — hoping to drive home the point that business wouldn’t spend billions of dollars on it, if it didn’t actually channel consumer behavior.  This has generated some interesting discussion; questioning whether it is consistent with an existential viewpoint.

You’ll recall the stereotype of existentialism is that individuals live on their own individual and isolated islands, where they are the King and responsible for whatever happens there.  Still, the island is impacted by exogenous factors, such as weather systems, technology, shipping routes, etc.

Sitting smugly on my island, I am bombarded with advertisers telling me what choices I should make.  They are trying to instruct me, not teach me.  As King of this island, I must make prudent choices and must bear that responsibility.  The individual advertisers are not responsible for my choices — I am!

My question is whether the industry-as-a-whole bears any moral or financial responsibility for consumer behavior?  Does the dope-dealer bear any responsibility for enticing a kid to become a dope-addict, any responsibility at all?