Advertising Manipulation and Environmental Effects

It is important to be conscious of advertising techniques that get people to buy their products. The methods of advertising are extensive. Usually the advertisements will try to reach a subjective part of people that they feel they can relate to. However, we must realize that we should not allow ourselves to submit to these 'emotions' present within advertising. Remember that big companies are NOT concerned with how you feel or what makes you happy or even what is for the greater good of the people and the environment -- they are simply another part of the economic rat race; they will typically use any methods to get the stepping stones they need to move up faster.

Maybe we, too, should remove emotion when selecting products we need to buy in life. I propose that next time you go to buy something, pay attention to how it makes you feel when you see it, read its name, or even smell it. Products try to appeal to the senses and the emotions attached to these senses in people. If you find that you want to buy a product because of the pretty packaging, the cool commercial you saw on the television, or because the name sounds neat compared to the other products, then you may be a victim of advertising manipulation.

This can have negative effects on the environment because a lot of the products with these superficial advertising qualities are not made as an environmentally safe alternative to other products -- instead their main goal is to make money at any cost.

Look at the other products on the shelf and read the back of the product for the ingredients to decide whether it is more natural. In the end, the color of a package, the cool commercial you saw on TV, or even the trendy name will only be appealing in the moment -- but the effects will last a lifestyle.


-Khaled Almazrouei