Did consumers need those products? Would they have bought the same thing but from a different company? If not, would they iblnstead put this money into savings for a rainy day? Would they save for a house? Wouod we have less homeless and vulnerable people?

Would the clever people working on ads and manipulating consumers actually pursue careers like chemical enginerting which solves fundamental problems of human civilisation?

If everyone saved money in a world where ads didn’t exist, do you think housing wouldn’t be bid up by virtue of many people having extra money to spend?

I hate what web ads have become, but I’m pretty sure they’re not a significant driver of homelessness.

Sure, i am not claiming without ads we will not have homeless people

I am asking whether we have any proof that the advertising i dustry contributes anything substantial to the real economy, or we would be better off if these people were doing something else

If you keep the consequences and scope of view so narrow like that, sure, that is a single positive that isn't weighing it at all with any of the negatives.

Ads also make sure that I add those businesses to my mental blacklist and never want to interact with them again. This affects peoples wages. It aids wealth destruction. Nothing good about that.