(Yes, ads are designed to get you to interact with them, but on their own, I wouldn’t go as far as saying, “psychological manipulation”. I’ll admit the industry has tended in that direction, however. Your view may differ)

The rise of small-time influencers, the "nanoinfluencers", is particularly worrying trend. There are degrees to how antisocial advertising is, but nanoinfluencing is near the top, along with MLMs - people literally get paid to cheat their family and friends out of their hard-earned cash. It does damage to the fundamental relationships in the society, and to the minds of everyone involved.

If you think I'm overdramatizing, consider if it's a healthy state of things, when asking a family member for advice or having a casual conversation, when you have to wonder whether they're being honest, or just shilling you some crap. That's a fundamental assault on basic interpersonal trust.