Talking about the future of marketing without talking about mental health is doing futurology with blindfolds.
There are many projections about what will be the future of marketing. Perhaps we are already in it. There is a lot of talk about immediate trends, artificial intelligence, automation, hyperpersonalization.
Of course, all this matters. But there is something that matters more 'WOW and that is constantly ignored: the effects of digital marketing on consumers. Or rather: the “usuarios”, as it was agreed to say in this industry.
There are studies, articles and books that warn of the impacts of this system on mental and physical health. Jonathan Haidt, for example, shows how social networks have fueled a silent epidemic of anxiety, comparison and addiction.
While companies compete with each other for attention, few people ask themselves: Why do we click on what we click? Why do we feel pleasure and guilt at the same time? Why do we buy without thinking & then regret?
This is what we should be talking about when we talk about“future marketing”. Will it be a future of opportunities, connections and awareness?
Or is it an automated system where robots direct robotic humans to buy what they don't need, while we call it” “engagement?
It is worth reflecting: what are we doing with our marketing?
