The Science of Advertising?

It's like our research but with advertising! It's hard to read this stuff cause we all like to think we are better than being manipulated by colors and advertising, but we're really not.

Really, this creeps me out. I've been reading this book today on consumer culture, and I honestly feel like I am a mere drone in this world of advertising that is now telling me what to think, feel and where to focus my attention. Creepy.

This article also reminded me about what we've talked about in class. I think commercials today also have to have a shocking or stunning effect so that people will actually pay attention to them, rather than ignore the same messages that want us to buy stuff. Obviously, the digital advertising is shocking enough to our brains, that we will pay attention and then take the directions that the sign tells us to do.

This also makes me think about how the brain develops in infants and toddlers. Babies are only able to focus their eyes in the very beginning of their life at objects that are about 8-12 inches away from their faces, and usually this is their mother's face, which is extremely interesting for them. I wonder how television and digital advertising will affect children's growth. I doubt that many mothers will be putting their infants in front of the television and I know the babies will definitely not be able to see the ads that are so far away from them, but I'm sure that child development will be affected by this as well. I would think it would be much easier for advertisers to influence the way that children think, and thus for the children to influence what their parents do.