Emilee Caudill
ec217717@ohio.edu
In the fast paced world we live in today, it takes a lot to catch someone's attention and even more to get someone interested in consuming a product. With all the different options in the world at everyone's fingertips, people need to be convinced of something's value before consuming it which is why advertising is essential.
How is Advertising Used
Advertising is present almost everywhere we look, despite the fact that we don't often realize it. It is often present in print media, social media, and obviously commercials.
Advertising has many uses besides just the typical selling of products, it can be found in political campaigns, healthcare and more. With so many different platforms to reach people on, there is really no way to avoid the effects of advertising.
Is Advertising Ethical
Despite how common advertising is, whether or not it is ethical is questionable. Advertising can be invasive, false and very misleading to consumers.
Advertising directly affects the brain and no matter the person, the effects that come from seeing an ad is almost unavoidable. In an NPR article discussing an experiment done on advertising it says, "This is her brain activity right now, real time," Kishiyama says. "When you're watching ads, and so forth, you're kind of passively watching it, but your brain is responding to it. So it's not always conscious."
A big issue with ads on social media is where the content is coming from. Ads featured on platforms like twitter, Instagram and Facebook from companies that aren't reputable sometimes feature stolen pictures and ideas.
Stolen images have become a major issue especially in Facebook advertising. A recent CNN article featured a story of this type of theft. The article says, "A California family says their identities were stolen and used in a Facebook ad for a company selling a protective mask that claimed to have saved the youngest son in a family of five from Covid-19."
What can we do
The world of advertising is thriving now more than ever and it's safe to say it isn't going anywhere, but there are a few things everyone can do to not fall victim to the less ethical effects of advertising.
It is important to fact check, even if the information seems legitimate. If the ad is coming from a source like Facebook, do more research.
Be aware of the advertising around you. Pay attention to what catches your attention and sticks in your head.
There is no way to avoid advertising but it does help to be educated on it.
Hi Emilee,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy how hard it could be to catch someone's attention in the matter of seconds? You wrote a great article explaining in depth how advertising is used and if it is ethical. Advertising is found everywhere we look, it is even at our fingertips everyday. I really like how you said "advertising directly affects the brain." This is so true, because advertising affects everyone in a different way. I agree that there is noway to avoid advertising. The best thing that could be done is to educate ourselves about it and not let it affect us.