What exactly is the end goal of these advertising platforms, exactly? Ads in my mind are zero sum, so I'm pretty clueless on this front. One thing I find interesting is the simultaneous popularity of these newfound distractions and task/project management software. Are we solving problems that were intentionally created and calling that progress?
Ads definitely create value. You can think of them as improved communication that connects people who are useful to each other.
On top of that, advertising is effectively forced on people. Given that many people actively try to avoid advertising, it seems clear that this is a negative point.
If advertising was objective and unbiased, and it was only presented to people actively seeking information about products, it would be a net benefit to society. As it stands, I believe it is a net detriment.