If you take a massive step back from the world of commercial advertising, it seems almost bizarre how readily people let advertisements proliferate. If an alien species popped over to Earth and took a look at our interaction with advertisements, what were they think about it? By their very functionality, words alone are enough to hijack our thoughts (“Don’t think of an elephant”), let alone words chosen by well paid committees.
But you’re right, if I must be exposed to ads, I prefer the ones that I look at, and not the other way around
The most basic argument for ads that I’ve heard is that they can inform consumers of options they would not otherwise be aware of. Not unreasonable, competition can only exist if people are aware that alternatives exist.
But that’s not how ads are used or the psychology and research put behind them. And the modern incarnation of capitalism as infintiely growing profits above literally all else puts too much skin in the game for companies to make “purely informative” ads. Ugh. Fuck ads.
If you take a massive step back from the world of commercial advertising, it seems almost bizarre how readily people let advertisements proliferate. If an alien species popped over to Earth and took a look at our interaction with advertisements, what were they think about it? By their very functionality, words alone are enough to hijack our thoughts (“Don’t think of an elephant”), let alone words chosen by well paid committees.
But you’re right, if I must be exposed to ads, I prefer the ones that I look at, and not the other way around
The most basic argument for ads that I’ve heard is that they can inform consumers of options they would not otherwise be aware of. Not unreasonable, competition can only exist if people are aware that alternatives exist.
But that’s not how ads are used or the psychology and research put behind them. And the modern incarnation of capitalism as infintiely growing profits above literally all else puts too much skin in the game for companies to make “purely informative” ads. Ugh. Fuck ads.