Why are we letting the media dictate how we live our lives???
For example, deodorant and shaving your legs is an American thing. Why? Because companies sell deodorants and razors...someone's gotta buy them. I mean, I can sit here and argue that those are really good things, but then I have been conditioned by our society, mostly through the media, to think this way. Conditioned. That's a scary word to describe us. Reminds me of Pavlov's dog experiment. Ok, totally getting off topic...
Anyway, advertisers and large corporations are constantly trying to find something wrong with us so that they can sell us a product to "fix" us. Or they try to appeal to our "wants" by turning them into "needs." Another example: one of the most interesting things that I have learned this week is that diamond engagement rings are nothing but an advertising ploy. The rings that guys used to give their beloved women are usually family heirlooms because they mean a whole lot more. But DeBeers, a diamond mining company based in South Africa, wanted to sell more diamonds. So, they hired an advertising firm to come up with a brilliant advertising strategy. Enter the phrase, "A Diamond is Forever." You know, like people's love should be. So, in order to show your girl that your love for her is "forever" give her a diamond! Now, this was back in the 1910s, I believe. And now, it has become a major tradition in our society...an advertising strategy!
The media sets the standards on how we are supposed to conduct our lives. And we sit here like mindless zombies and simply smile and nod our heads at their command. Fight the system! Watch commercials or look at ads with a critical eye. Ask yourself who is presenting the message and what their primary intentions are. Hint: it's the money they care the most about, not the people.
