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Controlling Consumerism
By Cristina Mulberry
The media is a powerful influence in the lives of children and adults; we are all susceptible to the messages that flood us both consciously and unconsciously throughout the course of the day. From advertisements on television, billboards, magazines, the sides of buildings, buses, subways, and more, to the ads, banners and pop-ups online; these messages bombard us about the products advertisers insist we need. Further persuasion comes from the apparel that is sold as a status symbol but is merely a blatant promotion for products. Then of course, there are the movies and TV shows which showcase the preferred lifestyle of those with the most material possessions. Even in the news, the glorious celebrities with their outrageously expensive cars, homes, clothing, and other "bling" dominate the coverage we see daily. Our desire to have many of the items we see presented is often the result of such persuasive tactics versus any true need. My 80 year old mother is convinced she couldn't live without cable TV although she was perfectly happy without it for 62 years of her life. My teenage niece goes into a panic if her cell phone isn't in her hand at all times although up until 3 months ago she never had one. My next door neighbor's children insist they must have a particular brand of jeans for going back to school or they can't be seen; life would be unbearable. For kids it's about clothing, accessories, and small gadgets. For adults, it's gadgets, cars, and homes. No one brags about their new 27 inch tube TV or their new cordless landline phone; they may perform very well, but it simply isn't what the media has convinced us we need. Shutting out these influential messages is nearly impossible for the simple reason they are everywhere. However, there are a few techniques we use in our family, for a variety of reasons, that help to reduce the noise. -- We watch very little television as it is being broadcast. Instead we record most of it with our DVR and then watch it at our convenience; skipping all of the commercials. We simply don't watch them. Period. We also watch a lot of movies on DVD; there are no non-movie commercials. -- Prior to getting our DVR, my husband merely muted the TV during commericals. He simply hates them. They're loud and they're repeated so often he simply can't bear them. Even without the DVR we never saw the commercials. Muting the TV during this time also allowed us to discuss what we had just seen before watching more or to take a "restroom break". -- We seldom listen to regular radio. We listen to DVD's and pre-recorded music; whether we buy it at the store, download it, or whatever. We do listen to satellite radio. It's where we find newer music we may not yet have, but there are no commercials involved with that. -- We use pop-up blockers online. It helps although certainly ads are still present. -- We generally throw away sale catalogs and flyers that arrive in the mail. Most often I found I was shopping for things because I saw them there and was attracted. Not because it was something I already felt I needed. -- We don't shop for fun; we shop for purpose. Window shopping seems innocent enough, but seeing all the goods makes me want things that I am otherwise quite happy without. I don't shop frequently and we never do it as a recreational activity. I don't stroll through decorated model homes, test drive new cars, or do anything of that nature unless I've already decided I am shopping for such things. Looking just to occupy my time is a bad idea. Shiny cars on a lot, attractive displays in department stores, and model homes are examples of great advertising. It all looks so tempting even though we didn't previously know we had to have it. Certainly none of these "techniques" will completely free anyone from the influence of advertising in the media and buying the things you truly need or want isn't an awful thing. However, taking control of your consumption and limiting the bombardment by marketers, advertisers, and others would seem to be a worthy goal to me. |
Influence of Media on Children
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Yes, I am glad my children are not glued to TV because they are too busy cracking video codes; meeting classroom requirements, creating music or on-line.
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This intel was contributed by mulberry
mulberry
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May, 2012
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