Do advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping people?

As an individual, I believe that each and every person has a moral duty to be a good person and contribute positively to the ever growing population. In response to advertisers who benefit off of the common negative stereotypes of male and females, I disagree completely. Advertisements are a full proof way to reach billions of eyes. They have the power to spread their message to every corner of the world, to people that are around us, and to people that we will never meet. With all of this great power, comes the great responsibility in what is being shown in this advertisement. Take into account that people of all ages view advertisements, adults, and children with fresh minds alike. Understanding that what is on these ads will affect those who view it is crucial. 

For instance, showing off women with edited bodies and telling both men and women that this is the desirable body, telling the young girls that this unrealistic and unattainable body is what you should aspire to have is destroying minds. Promoting and enhancing the stereotype of what a perfect woman looks like. There are girls that try all their lives to be thinner, taller and prettier just like those fake models. It causes them to waste their life reaching a goal that they will never achieve, instead of focusing on goals which will make them a better addition to society. 

In addition to looks, women in ads are objectified, seen as a property of men, used to attract men, and playing a simple decorative role. How does this affect the mentality of teenage girls growing and trying to find themselves? How does this help encourage girls to grow and be what they want, when they are constantly seeing older versions of themselves in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, taking care of babies. The traditional stereotyping within advertising holds women back. 

And these ads do not only affect women, but men are also affected as well. There are Ads that show and promote the expected masculinity of men, especially perfume, and other men care product ads. "Advertising, arguably more than any other sector, has a moral duty to represent society at large. Advertising needs to create accessible ideas that represent everyone and to find effective and positive ways of representing them."

Even though the tactics of advertisement companies have worked for them and did give them the profit they were looking for, advertisers are now changing things for the better. Advertisers have definitely reduced the amount of gender stereotyping that had been present within ads.