Advertising has significantly affected the values that most Americans display. Advertising can sometimes be used to fulfill a need that people already have. However, most often than not, advertising is used to create a need in people that was not there before. This means that people become more interested in buying things that they did not need in the past. This leads to a habit of consumption and consumerism that nowadays is identified with American values. It also has encouraged a competition in consumption among people, an attitude known as "Keeping up with the Joneses."
