I Detest Advertizing
I suspect I’m in a unique position. I don’t watch TV, although I do watch movies from DVD. I listen only to CBC radio. I don’t subscribe to newspapers. People keep calling with free offers of newspapers, but I still don’t want them. I read all the news I want on the web. With these preferences, I have very little exposure to advertizing.
When I paid a visit to my parents recently, I did watch TV. They were watching it, and there was not much else to do, so I did watch TV. I was immediately assaulted by the commercials. I was offended by them. They insulted my intelligence. Worse, they attempted to manipulate people. I refuse to be manipulated.
I suppose that advertizing always manipulates consumers so that they will want to buy their product or service. Ultimately, there’s probably no other way to do it. I suppose also that most people are accustomed to being manipulated, and can defend themselves against it, at least to some extent. I don’t want to do that.
The worst offenders are forms of advertizing that forces itself on you. TV commercials take over the screen. Radio commercials take over the sound. I don’t watch TV or listen to commercial radio. Some web sites have a page of advertizing that pops up before the information you wanted to see. I back out of those ones. Some videos on the web show a commercial first. Sometimes I back out of those too. Sometimes I just wait for the commercial to be over.
Some advertizing is less obtrusive. Advertizing spread all over a web page is like that. I never click the ads while I’m reading the article. Advertizing in a newspaper or magazine is similar. It’s easy to avoid too.
If I want some product or other, I search on the web for it. Mostly I look for reviews, independant reviews of course, not just from people who have an interest in selling the product. I strive not to be influenced by advertizing or brand names, although I’m sure I am influenced to some extent. Sometimes I go to a store and look at what’s available on the shelves. Often there are so many similar products that I can’t decide what to buy. At least I’m not led into choosing one because I’ve just seen the advertizing for it.