OK. I could not resist writing about this. I know it is against the industry. I know a lot of people will disagree, but that’s life. I hope to raise awareness to some others.
Commercials...
Business for millions. I get it. Marketing is an essential aspect of every business. Everybody uses it. You have a product. You have to advertise it. You must let people know that you and your product exist. You must show them that your product is better than the others on the market.
In my eyes, the problem is not the advertisements. The problem is attacking people`s insecurity and fear. It is art, to be able to manipulate someone, that a specific product is going to make them better at something or help them achieve whatever. And if it is genuine, is fine. If it is a product that can truly benefit, Yea, let people know. But when is used to simply rob people’s money and health, then it is not acceptable?
Advertisements are simply making us sick and sad.
“Have you seen the latest iPhone or the new headphones that are going to change your way of listening to music and are going to cook pasta for you”?
A common conversation among youngsters these days.
The inability to get the latest stuff, or the ability, but the lack of satisfaction and appreciation that occurs even when we do buy the latest tech. That is making us unhealthy. That is generating more and more unhappiness in us. More and more hate and envy. We forget more and more about ourselves and what truly matters. For what? For a piece of tech that presumably is going to give us something that we don’t?
That is making us unhappy. That is degenerating our emotional health, but it doesn’t stop here.
I currently live in Bulgaria. Every evening, when my dad comes home, he would turn on the TV, because otherwise, it is too quiet for him. And I can’t notice the advertisements that are going on. They are just screaming at you: Watch me, watch me.
So, I don’t know how it is in other countries, but believe me, every second advert here, is some sort of drug. Pills, medicines, pain killers, multivitamins, whatever. And how it is advertised? They list 5 of the most common symptoms. And they do not forget to mention that you are probably having them, not due to your lifestyle, but due to some sort of black magic. So, you start to think that from time to time, you do get headaches, or you knee does bother you sometimes. You are sold. You are convinced that this pill is for you and it is going to fix all your problems.
Do you realize that you suddenly become sick? A 30-sec advertisement made you sick and offer the solution for the problem?
Supplements are the same.
There are at least 3 adverts that I recall, for liver health. They explain how fast food, stress, medications, alcohol, and whatnot are very harmful to your liver. And they have a solution of course. “This supplement is going to magically heal your damaged liver”. So what? You can continue to drink vodka and eat pizza all day long.
Or something like: “If your liver could talk, it would have already told you to take this supplement”. Really? I think your liver is more likely to curse you for all the fast food, alcohol, and poison you give it, all day long.
Why there are no adverts for gyms or sport facilities where you can be active and help your joints feel better. Why there are no adverts for healthy food options, or how to eat to help our liver, instead of poisoning it even more with supplements.
The traditional medicine is already broken enough to treat your symptoms, instead of finding the root cause and addressing it (not all parts of it, but a big portion of today’s health system seem to be as such) and making more unhealthy individuals. We do not even have to go to the doctor. Our TVs already have the solution.
And it doesn’t stop here. The worst is that kids are being targeted too. All the useless toys and games are linked to some stupid and not an educational cartoon. Making kids want every single piece of colorful plastic out there. Or the sweets advert that is teaching kids that real food is not tasty at all, but the chocolate bar or dessert is so good that everyone is ready to fight for it.
These are kids. They are innocent. There is nothing moral in this. Their mental health and capacity are now evolving and developing. I get that programming them from kids to be consumers is going to increase the long-term profits for companies. But it just does not feel right to do so. I am sorry for comparing it this way, but it is just like if I am a drug dealer and I am going to kids and convincing them to try this and that, so in the future, they are going to buy stuff from me, without any value.
I am very aware that I cannot change the world. I know that this is an empire that cannot be destroyed. And maybe it is not true. Maybe I am wrong and in fact, advertisements provide people with value.
These are my observations. This is what I have seen. People are addicted to the stuff, are addicted to supplements, and have a lifetime membership with the local pharmacy. Kids crying all day for not having the useless toy from the advert, which is going to be destroyed in the fifth minute and there is going to be a desire for something else, seen on TV.
I hope this blog reaches people that deeply care for themselves and their kids. As much as I want, I will not be able to do absolutely anything to change the advertisements policies, topics, or value. But I can at least raise awareness and help some people get free from this trap of consumerism.
I apologize if I offended someone! I tried to be as objective as possible.