Our World of Advertisements

3000 Ads a day, or 3 years of your life. According to Jean Kilbourne, and the Media Education Foundation, that is the number of advertisements, the average American encounters. This number seems to portray how our lives have been and still are impacted and influenced by the media and more specifically advertising. Ever since the dawn of advertising, complaints and concerns have run rampant. Does advertising have a strong impact on society? Does it really influence the millions of people reading magazines, watching TV, and listening to the radio constantly? The birth and growth of the advertising era, have prompted society to think about the consequences of advertising. The creation of advertisements has given companies a means by which to sell products extremely efficiently, yet we see its ramifications in our personal lives and in society as a whole.

The society in which we live today, has transformed into this image-based type of culture. Consumers are targeted daily, with strategically placed advertisements, images, etc all to entice them to spend money to receive some satisfaction, in this paradox of affluence, that we seem to be stuck in. While we know advertisers reach a broad-spectrum of people with one effectively placed message, by using resources such as television, magazines, newspapers, billboards, the Internet, etc. it is easy to see how they can have such an impact on our society. Although advertising has become a huge medium for companies to expand their consumer base, the fact of the mater is that the advertising of potential harmful products such as cigarettes, alcohol, and violent video games brings about consumer awareness which can prove to be very beneficial in itself. Take violent video games for instance. A great deal of controversy over the harmful effects these games can have on our society is a direct result of advertising. Controversial advertising brings about media coverage, which leads to even greater consumer awareness. This exposure gives parents vital information, which can help them in protecting their children against such harmful products, but it can also raise exposure about the product itself. There in lies the love-hate relationship consumer's have with advertising.

We live in a busy, fast-paced society. Therefore, advertisers must catch our attention quickly, must appeal to our emotions, communicate a products benefit in a few quick words, and create a lasting impression if they want to be affective.

The presence of advertisements have changed our societies values, and have led young people to have a high, sometimes unattainably high standards, to which they hold themselves. Some have speculated this has led to a rise in eating disorders, low self esteem, as well as other negative impacts. This almost obsessive need for self-actualization that humans feel, is the driving force in the companies ability to effectively advertise. According to Child Psychologist, Allen D. Kanner, PhD, of Berkeley, California:

The result [of advertising] is not only an epidemic of materialistic values among children, but also something he calls "narcissistic wounding" of children. Thanks to advertising, he says, children have become convinced that they're inferior if they don't have an endless array of new products. (Clay 52)

Food, clothing, toys are just a few of the many types of advertisements being thrust upon children daily. Many advertisements being directed towards children are that of food. Many