Pro:
It makes a lot of sense for our product. Scheduling and calendar apps are usually associated with free extra bundles in suite packages. As such, people do not expect to pay for them. By having ads on our platform, we can get our money from a different stream. They can also be shown on the periphery which will not interfere with the user’s interaction albeit they might be frustrating to look at.
Con:
Successful ads require a deep understanding of users. To achieve this, you need to have data about them. In the current form of our product, we could get access to sensitive user information through their calendars. That would make for great and unique targeting opportunities. HOWEVER it would be a clear violation of user privacy and trust. With the current direction of user behaviors, an advertising model is a serious gamble fraught with ethical dilemmas.
Well-being:
The whole idea of advertising is to sell products. Lots of the time, people do not need to buy things. The US is an especially consumerist society. I truly believe that we should be urging for less purchasing especially given the context of climate change. Our economy would likely collapse if we did not change how its incentives function but I think people would be better off. Money could be spent on more important things that actually contribute to happiness such as health and experiences.
