Talking about the future of marketing without addressing mental health is like making predictions with blinders on.
There are many projections about what the future of marketing will be. Perhaps we are already in it. There is much 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 is something that matters more — and that is constantly overlooked: the effects of digital marketing on consumers. Or rather: the “users”, as it is commonly said in this industry.
There are studies, articles, and books warning about 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 for attention, few people ask: 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 later?
This is what we should be talking about when we talk about the “future of marketing”. Will it be a future of opportunities, connections, 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?
