Talking about the future of marketing without talking about mental health is like doing futurology blindfolded..
There are many projections about what the future of marketing will be. Perhaps we’re already there. There’s a lot of talk about immediate trends, artificial intelligence, automation, hyper-personalization… All to keep companies one step ahead of the competition..
Of course, all of this matters. But there’s something else that matters more—and that’s constantly overlooked: the effects of digital marketing on consumers. Or rather, “users,” as this industry has come to call them..
Studies, articles, and books warn of the impacts of this system on mental and physical health. Jonathan Haidt, for example, shows how social media has fueled a silent epidemic of anxiety, comparison, and addiction..
While companies compete for attention, few people ask themselves: Why do we click on what we click on? Why do we feel pleasure and guilt at the same time? Why do we buy without thinking—and then regret it?
This is what we should be talking about when we talk about the “future of marketing.” Will it be a future of opportunity, connection, and awareness?
Or will it be an automated system where robots direct robotic humans to buy what they don’t need, while we call it “engagement”?
It’s worth reflecting: what are we doing with our marketing?
