Dystopian Controls
Does advertisement control us?
How are ads used to control us?
Advertisement controls us by this thing called ads.
We see ads everyday whether it is before a movie, on a webpage, or even in the middle of a movie. Some people may not even notice ads, they may even think that those ads are interruptions. A lot of people have trouble seeing ads as manipulative because we want to believe were completely in control of our choices. When someone is watching a movie sometimes ads pop up and they seem to think that those ads are an nuisance. In addition someone who enjoys ads might even take a listen to what it has to say. Ads today are getting more and complicated, because they want memories of their product to be in our head. These memories are created whether it is good or bad. And that emotional connection to the ads can have a profound effect on the decisions we make and the things we buy. Advertisement controls us through ads because the connection we have to what we want and desire.How does advertising control our children?
According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is “an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit an organization and its stakeholders.”3 Using the “Four Ps” of marketing—product, place, price, and promotion—advertisers use paid public presentations of goods and services in a variety of media to influence consumers' attention to, and interest in, purchasing certain products.4
Television has long been the staple of advertising to children and youth.5 Children view approximately 40,000 advertisements each year.6 The products marketed to children—sugar-coated cereals, fast food restaurants, candy, and toys—have remained relatively constant over time.7 But marketers are now directing these same kinds of products to children online.8
Does technology control us?
We live in a world where the use of technology is accelerating at breakneck speed. From cell phones and video games to smart appliances and social networks, with each passing day, technology becomes more a part of everyday life. If you feel like you’re caught in a speeding current of bits and bytes that seems to be carrying you away from the world you knew, away from a place of comfort – know that you’re not alone. This is the lifescape of the 21st century. But is technology in control? Absolutely not! Society is no more controlled by technology than Bill was by Hillary.
The fact is that technology is a tool and nothing more. The history of the world clearly tells the tale of technology, and it’s obvious to the most casual observer that the great societies have always been those who took advantage of the technologies of their time. From the earliest of humans who first tamed fire, to contemporary times, the societies who best leveraged technology rose to the top.