Fear as an Advertising Tactic
Americans are considered to be one of the most highly exposed peoples to commercial advertising in the world. From television (an entertainment medium in which the average adult spends 254 minutes a day engaged), to print media, to internet banner ads, the American consumer culture is kept humming through the often, guerilla tactics of top advertising firms.
Although there have been many concerns about the sheer volume of advertising in all forms of media from as long as it has been in existence, the relatively new and growing trend of using health-related fears to sell products is particularly alarming. It is this trend that Benjamin Radford mentions in his book, Media Mythmakers, that actually "threatens" to manipulate consumers to the detriment of society as a whole.
It seems that the concept of an "informed citizenry" has become almost passe in modern times -- especially when considering areas of health and disease. With all of the varied special interests vying for the transmission of "their version" of the truth, the actual facts can be almost irreversibly obscured. Radford asserts in his book that advertising companies consciously manipulate consumers based on health fears, resulting in "real problems" going unaddressed and wasted resources.
Take, for example, the exploding market for "ADHD" medications. ADHD, short for "attention deficit, hyper-activity disorder," is a fairly new "disorder," that is being labeled onto the nation's children at an alarming rate. Although many consider ADHD to be an authentic disorder in children, the sudden jump in "diagnosis" in the school-aged population gives one pause. According...
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