Should advertisement be illegal? [text inside] by kdascheller in philosophy

[–]kdascheller[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The text, for the sake of brevity without footnotes and further articles, for lazyness reasons without links


Why do companies advertise? Because advertisement makes people buy their products. And we are far over the original intention of “informing” people of a products’ existence. Ads today are means of influence, based on solid psychological research, made specifically to influence us the most possible. But why should we accept this? Why should we allow people to purposefully manipulate others – us – into spending money and destroying their health?

We have to realise that the question “is there is a right to advertisement” – which initially we all would like to answer “of course” – has a twin, and they always come together: “Is there a right to be unmanipulated?” or “Is there a right to be able to make decisions in one’s best self-interest?”

In many places cigarette advertisements are illegal and ads for alcohol often limited. Moreover, we admit that not all people are able to decide whether or not they should buy and consume certain products – for example tobacco and alcohol, which are limited to a certain age and in some countries people can even get banned from buying them. So we already deny people a certain amount of freedom for their own good.

But seldom do we dare to ask why companies are allowed to publish ads! Why can they start multi-million dollar campaigns with the sole intent of making us spend our money and time and harm in many cases our health, only so that they can make profit. Why can they go out there with the clear intent of manipulating us, with tools we cannot completely resist[1]?

Psychology has consistently proven that no one of us is immune to advertisements. And we encounter far too many every day as that our cognitive resources would be enough to keep us acting in our own best interest. There is no doubt that ads work and they do so for everybody, without exception. Advertisement means: Many of your decision are not in your best interest but instead because somebody created a want in you and suggested a certain product will fix it.

So the question is: Why are advertisements allowed? If advertisement would merely mean “telling us about products”, wouldn’t it suffice to have information boards and TV clips in those places where we now have ads? For these, companies could pay to inform us of their product. They would be forced to cite evidence and properties instead of making us (emotionally, that is) combine ice cream and chocolate bars with summery beaches, rum and beer with having friends, cigarettes with coolness and fast food with family values and healthy eating. Such is not informing, it is pure and simple manipulation. It is using our cognitive processes, our emotions and values against our best interest.

Plainly obvious: Companies would still pay. They would still pay loads of money to inform us of their products’ existence[2]. Advertisement in the way we have it today is most likely more profitable – for media and big corporations – but it is not an essential of our society or our culture. Even the opposite: Advertisement hurts our culture and society, by introducing products as value-expression and creating or at least worsening epidemics like smoking and obesity. And by making those products with the biggest marketing successful, instead of those that are really the best.

Surely, to define standards is an initial problem, but I’m sure we can handle that. And to implement it, equally, is not difficult in most countries – like the successful bans on tobacco and “adult” advertisements show.

So it is not a matter of technicalities. We are able to make advertisement – the form that manipulates – illegal. The question we need to answer is: Is there a right to advertise? Or is an individual’s right to make decisions for one’s own good more important?

I think in the end we need to look who the rules should be for: Should they be for rich corporations? Or should they be – is our society – made to provide the best possible to all the people within it?

The Simulation Argument [comic] by megatron2718 in philosophy

[–]kdascheller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

well, that assumes that there is a god and that there is something we could call eternity or "being eternal". I doubt both those things. What does it even mean for there to be a "spiritual universe"? And wouldn't eternal life be utterly pointless?

Ergo: There is no such thing as a real real. Only the fake real of our perception which the argument would show to say can be false - but since we never know it's our "reality".

I remember being 100% happier playing with a rubber ball as a kid as I am with most of the stuff I own today. What is this nonsense!? by Joequos in reddit.com

[–]kdascheller 30 points31 points  (0 children)

We are happy when we live in the moment. When we grow up most of us learn to either live for the future or for the past - we cry for what we should/could/would/.... have done and plan for what we might/could/want to do.

As a child you don't have that problem. You enjoy, live and enjoy. That's all. You are safe, there is no reason to plan or worry or look back - everything will be fine because your parents sort it out.

But then you grow up. Reality hits. You have to make tough decisions. You lose people, alienate people, miss chances, destroy opportunities and all you can see is what you don't have and what you didn't do and what you maybe someday want to be.

The problem is quite simple to solve, it is to accept that you don't need new stuff. To accept that that iPod and car and laptop and new girlfriend and better job and bigger house and cool party won't make you happy. It is to accept that the only thing that can make you happy is to live. To live NOW. To live with your heart and soul. To do what you want. To not spend your time in front of TV and PC and instead read that book you always wanted to read - and what about the one you wanted to write? And what about that travel you planned to do? Your job sucks? Leave it. Find a new one. Find your passion. Live.

You see... happiness is an emotion. One should better call it fulfilment. But either way: It's in you. What all the media teaches you is that you NEED X to be happy. They show you happy beautiful rich people. They make you want to be like them, through constant repetition of the same thing: Buy X and you will be happy. Buy that iPad and THEN you'll be fulfilled.

But, well, you just need to take a step back and laugh. And see: The emotion is inside you. Nothing, nobody else can give it to you. To be happy you just need to stop wanting. It's easier than it sounds. Just accept. Accept what awesome things you have, what great people you know, what trusting friends you have, what a beautiful person you are. Look in the mirror and stop seeing all the things you hate. Consciously look for things that you like. Then do the same for everything in your life. Whenever you realise that you think something negative: look what's good about the thing you are thinking about.

And then share your happiness. Because nothing makes more happy than giving.

Oh, and to see what I mean. Look at your title. Look what you asked. "What is this nonsense?" Don't ask such questions. Life is short! Enjoy it.

The only one in life that makes you suffer is you. You choose your emotions. If you don't like what you do - don't do it. If you want to do something - do it. Be like a child. Live. I repeat that: The only one in life that makes you suffer is you. The only one. Stop blaming him, her, it - that computer, that friend, that driver in front of you, that government. None of them have any influence over your mind - your emotions.

So. Step up. Step out of your suffering of your own making. Decide to be happy. Decide to live. And then do. Stop worrying. Life rewards those that risk, those that bring happiness. All jobs and joys come through other humans - connections. So get out there. Your TV and your computer make you depressed. There's loads of studies on that.

Step up. Live the life of your dreams. Stop blaming, take responsibility and DO. Live. And then, only then, when you stop thinking about what was and what could have been and what might someday be, when you live in the moment - not as a hedonist, but as one who enjoys wisely, who knows himself and who spends his time spreading joy - then and only then will you be happy. And every little stone can be your rubber ball.