I view it as being more like, the things that have advertising are pretty much only in existence because they can be funded by it. The fact that it exists in order to fund them is great because now we have a choice. We can visit those sites and endure the ads, or we can not visit those sites.
How would this work without advertising? Who would be paying for the websites that we enjoy?
Would you rather have every website prompt you with a paywall instead because that is the only other profitable solution I can think of.
AKA the "harmful behavior is ok when it's profitable" theory. I don't agree.