From billboards to television ads, the media is constantly telling us what we need to do and how we need to do it. But when offering incentives to charities become widespread, people say that it undermines the moral value of a selfless act. However being charitable is not something that is innate but must be taught and nurtured like a virtue and it is a necessary proponent to counter the negative messages of advertising.

Oftentimes we develop habits that we do without thinking such as a brushing our teeth or putting on our seatbelts. Initially, we did not know why we did it or what benefits it brought. But as this habit developed and as we matured, it came to be understood that we brushed our teeth in order to prevent cavities and we put on our seatbelts to safeguard against injuries in accidents. Although these are common health practices, our morals and beliefs are developed on a different level because those are dependent on perspective. One person may be more generous than another, but by offering incentives for chartitable acts, we are promoting good, moral habits, essentially these prootions are acting as the great equilibrium of varying opinions and morals in order to set a standard of humanity for society.

Especially with the rise of marketing, we con never escape the insidious advertising of corporations telling us what to do. However it seems hypocritical to allow advertising for consumerism, yet deem promoting charity as morally undermining. With the competition in influencing morals at hand, it seems that we should be readily encouraging charitable acts to counter balance the torrent of advertising. Raising awareness to the plight of the homeless or the slave trafficking in Africa must be put to priority before embracing the latest fashion trends or the newest ipod nano.

Although exchanging food, clothing, or money for bonus points in school may seem a bit too much, but those extra points in order to nurture a more balanced sense of ethics is a small price to pay. If children are not reinforced with a mindset of giving, their ethics in other matters, such as paying taxes will also transform into stinginess. Selfishness and greed is the only produce of removing charitable acts.

Because charitable acts will always pertain to good, it must be promoted in order to place a generous mindset within society and to combat the advertising prowl for consumerism and greedy selfishness.