I worked a lot on advertising/marketing related software. And had very similar feelings. Only until I've resolved my main personal psy issues. Since then I don't care. Job is just a mean to an end. As long as I don't do anything illegal - i'm fine. If I don't like it - I change it to something I like more. I don't give a single duck how others make money or how much they make. Also I know that there are as many assho…
Of course people are motivated by money but there is are difference on how you can achieve that goal. And in advertising it is mostly on the backs of the most naïve users. In contrast there are people that really improve software and products for everyone and there are countless examples of that.
It's like saying that advertising bad, other cool things - good.
Don't you know that if not because of advertising - we wouldn't had Google, amazon and thousands of other great products and companies?