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One of the main topics of the semester was about consumerism and how it affects us every single day. Statistics show that the average American will come across 5000 different types of advertisements a day (Lecture, Choc). There are millions of ways we come in contact through ads these days including, commercials, posters, covers on food, and etc. What I basically learned in this class was that we should be more aware of what it means to be consumers of Capitalism and to realize how much we have been exploited to be constant consumers.
The reason many of us fall for advertisements we see Is because many of these companies purposely make their commercials activate a part of the brain’s reward/pleasure center. The pleasure center Is made up of nucleus acumen’s and ventral testament area which the brain receives dopamine (Piloting, Condominium). This reward/pleasure is closely associated when individuals do pleasurable things such eating favorite foods, watching movies, sex, and drugs (Piloting, Condominium).
In the module 9 critical thinking, the article explains how the consumption Coca Cola will activate the reward/pleasure center which Is another example of why many Americans are addicted to It. It Is Ironic that Americans In recently years have put so Running head: MODULE 9 CRITICAL THINKING 3 Much money into preventing obesity and childhood obesity yet our government doesn’t put any effort into reducing the number of ads we see from these soda companies. Another interesting point that the critical thinking article shows is how smell and auditory senses also have to do with marketing and how we consciously don’t even realize it.
I can relate myself as when I’m near In-n-Out burger and I can smell the burgers and suddenly want a craving for it. The textbook calls this Subliminal Message where it means that our perception is below an absolute threshold where there is less than 50% of it being realized (Piloting, Condominium). Another subliminal message can also be auditory as the text book gives an example of how playing French music will result in people purchasing more French Wine. Subliminal messages can be seen at every store at the mall, such as Hollister.
Walk Into a Hollister and you will notice how It Just smells Like a concreted perfume pit and the ambient lights. However the greatest Influences to our brains is culture, another point which Dry. Choc has always brought up in lectures. Advertisement have been a dominant influence in our culture and it is unfortunate that many Americans do not even realize how much our brain is being influenced. Not even Just as adults, advertisements can capture someone at any age. Despite these, I urge many people to make more wiser choices such eating balanced.