NickTarasewicz

OurYouthHypnotizedbyAdvertising
Thinkofavolunteercontrolledbyahypnotist,andyouwillunderstandthecontrolthatadvertisinghas overoursociety.Becauseouryouthhaveimpressionableminds,theyaremostaffectedbyadvertising. Indeedouryoutharebrainwashedintobelievingtheymustbuyorusespecificproducts. Inthemodernworldofglobalization,everyoneisinterconnectedthroughopenmarketsandtechnology, andeventhroughadvertising.Companiesproducelargeamountsofproductsforverylittlecostinother countriesallaroundtheworld.Oncethesecompanieshavecompletedproduction,theyhavetosellthe products,usuallythroughadvertising.Companiesfocustheiradvertisingdollarsontheworldsyoung mindsandwallets,whetherornottheproductsareusefulor,moreoften,areadetrimenttotheseyoung buyers. Howdoesthishypnoticdeceptionwork?Foradvertisingtobesuccessful,thecommercialsand advertisementsmustportrayanitemtobeanecessity,attemptingtoconvincetheviewerthatitwill somehowimproveonesveryexistence.Thisissimilartohowahypnotisthastoconvincetheaudience thatwhatheisdoingisrealandnotjustanillusion.Whenanadvertisementmakestheproductappear tobeofgreatbenefit,theviewerisseducedintoagreement. Whenthisonslaughtofadvertisingliesisdirectedtowardstheyouthoftheworld,theeffectsare extensiveandnegative.Pediatricianshavefoundthatchildrenundereightarepsychologicallyunableto graspthenotionofwhatadvertisingisandbelievethestoryoftheadistrue(Children).Forexample, thinandanorexicmodelsareusedinallformsofadvertising,sochildrenthinkthattheyshouldbe excessivelythin.Regardlessofthestory,thesehypnoticscreensarethesmokeandmirrorsof advertisingmagicians,exploitingtheirskillstodistorttherealityofchildren. Itsnotjusttheadvertising,buttheamountofadvertisingthatistargeteddirectlytochildren.The AmericanAcademyofPediatricshascalculatedthat,Theaverageyoungpersonviewsmorethan 3,000adsperdayontelevision,Internet,billboards,andinmagazines(Children).Companiesare specificallytargetingchildrenbecausetheywishtoestablishabrandnamepreferenceatanasearlyage, hopingforacradletogravebuyer.Forexample,somesmartphoneandtabletadsarecurrentlybeing directedatchildrenbetweentheagesofsixand12(Children). Thislinktotechnologyplacesourfuturegenerationsatrisk.Advertisementsareteachingthemthat technologywillmaketheirliveseasierandhappier,hypnotizingthemtobeconnectedatalltimes. Thinkaboutthedysfunctionadvertisersaresettingup,tellingchildrentospendtimeoncomputersand videogames,whenparentsareprobablydoingtheopposite,tellingtheirkidstounplugtheirmindsfrom thosetechnologies. Thentherearetherealworldexperiencesthatkidsloseoutonbecauseofhightechnologyuse.You mightarguethatyouthsinvolvementwithtechnologyisbeneficialbecauseitwilleventuallyaidinthe improvementofourfuturewithmorescientificadvancements.Buttechnologytakesawaypreciouslife experiencesthatcouldalsoaidinadvancements.Therealworldanditsrealpeopleareignored.The

virtualworldbecomesmoreimportant.Ouryouthnolongergooutsidemeetwithfriendsexerciseand soon.Insteadtheysitinadimmedcave,hunchedoverthekeyboard,slowlydevelopingsensitivityto light.Theirimaginationsarestifled,andtheirbodiesarestilled.Theswirlingscreensofmediaisntonly inducingahypnoticstate,italsowhispersmessagesofdangerouslies. Anotheradvertisingareaofgraveconcernistheconstantbarragetheyoungreceiveaboutalcoholand drugslikenicotine.Parentsinformtheirchildrennottosmokeordrinkalcohol.Yetadvertisersspend over$11billionperyearoncigaretteadvertising,and$5.7billionperyearonalcoholadvertising.They subjectyoungpeopletomorethan2,000beerandwinecommercialsannually.Infactyoungpeoplesee 45%morebeeradsand27%morehardliquoradsinteenmagazinesthanadultsdointheirmagazines (Children).Alloftheseadvertisementscontributetoayouthculturethat'sheavilyinfluencedtotake partinunhealthyhabits. Worstofallistheconstantadvertisingofpoorqualityfoodsthattheyoungseeeveryday.Itis estimatedthatoutofthe40,000adsperyeardevelopingmindsview,halfareforfood.Healthyfoodis promotedlessthan3%ofthetime(Children).Instead,thespotlightisshoneonfatdrippingmealsand sugarycereals. Itsnosurprise,then,thatMichaelReedy,fromtheDepartmentofCellBiologyatDukeUniversity, foundthat40%ofchildrensdietscomefromaddedsugarsandunhealthyfats.Onestudyfoundthat whenagroupofchildrenwereexposedtotelevisioncontentwithfoodadvertising,theyconsumed45% moreunhealthyfoodthanchildrenexposedtocontentwithnofoodadvertising(Harris). Continuedadvertisingofunhealthyfoodswillhaveanegativeeffectonfutureadulthealth.Evenfive yearsafterchildrenhavebeenexposedtopromotionsofunhealthyfoods,researchersfoundthatthey purchasedfewerfruits,vegetablesandwholegrains,andincreasedtheirconsumptionoffastfoods,fried foods,andsugarsweetenedbeverages(BarrAnderson).AccordingtotheCDC,ifcurrenttrends continue,1outof3U.S.adultswillhavediabetesby2050(Physical). Ifoursocietycontinuesatthisrate,wewillhaveapopulationthatisfullyspellboundbyashinywatch, inevitablyfollowingitsswing,backandforth,andbackandforth.Peoplewillbeoverweight,unhealthy, smokinganddrinkingtheirwaythroughlife,urgedonbyadvertisementsthatconvincethemthese activitiesaresublime.Evenifthetranceisbroken,therewillstillberesidualeffects.Weareaworld foreverdoomedtoemptyourwalletsatthesnapoftheadvertisershypnoticfingers. WordCount:957

WorkCited: BarrAndersonDJ,L.N.S.(2009).Doestelevisionviewingpredictdietaryintakefiveyearslater inhighschoolstudentsandyoungadults?.IntJBehavNutrPhysAct,6(7).

"Children,Adolescents,andAdvertising."Pediatrics.AmericanAcademyofPediatrics,n.d.Web. 3Feb.2014.<http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/6/2563.full>. HarrisJL,B.J.(2009).Primingeffectsoftelevisionfoodadvertisingoneatingbehavior.Healthy Psychology,28(4),404413. Physicalactivityandgoodnutrition:Essentialelementstopreventingchronicdiseaseand obesity.CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.(2004).