Reflections From a Country Girl

Ever think about why those television ads are so cute and creative?  Notice that ads are everywhere?

Advertisements are a big part of life.  You can say you are not affected all you want to.  There is simply no way you can get around them unless you totally ignore each one when they are on and refuse to look at them when they pop up on your computer screen or in magazines.

I am one of those that advertisements are wasted on.  I learned long ago that it was all about money.  I don’t ever look at pop ups unless I am trying quickly to get rid of them and I leave the room when a commercial comes on to “multitask.”  I rush to get dishes out of the dishwasher and put them away before the show comes back on.  I also use that time to fold clothes in the laundry room and often quickly fixing a drink during that minute or so.

In addition to that, I comparison shop like crazy at the stores and purposely avoid name brands because there are generics that are just as good and much less expensive.

That is not, however, the case with many of us.

Many of us, including our children, are mesmerized in front of the television watching sensual, emotional, humorous and often socially acceptable ads that promote bad habits – gripping us immediately and trying their best to make us believe their product is the best and most desirable.

It happens constantly and it is seizing our very souls.

As adults, we are supposed to be able to manage this responsibly.  The key word here is supposed.

Let me say here, that there is nothing wrong with making a wise choice when it comes to quality and dependability.  For instance, I learned long ago that there are carmakers that have better reputations for producing quality products than others.  I held out as long as I could when it came to buying American made cars.  My problem is, they stranded me on the side of the road one too many times and I felt my safety was in jeopardy.  When it was time to buy another car, I went with a foreign made car that has a longstanding record of safety and reliability.  Couldn’t help it.  I needed something I could depend on long term.  I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Media experts are savvy at making sure they create a culture and environment through ads. They are masters at making sure they take products and price them well, place them in a high profile area and promote them like crazy.  We are all exposed to it when we see a race car, a bus, a website. Even schools have displays that advertise items.  Those companies are pretty smart. They support school information while they “advertise” around the edges or at the bottom of the ad.

Did you know that advertisers even know where to place the wording on a picture or ad to get the most attention?

Yes, folks, media is BIG business.  There are ads specifically tailored to the more mature generation, the baby boomers, and the teenagers. Much of it is aimed right at our children.  After all, kids have more buying power that we do.   They are easy targets for marketers because of their lack of experience.  While we adults are spending our money on car payments, food, house expenses, etc, our children have lots of disposable income.

One of the participants at a recent seminar on media marketing asked if this problem wasn’t about something much deeper.  His question was answered well, but he was playing the devil’s advocate and doing a good job of it.

Quite frankly, I agree with him. In fact, this IS much more about what is going on with our society in general.

Bottom line is, our children follow our example as adults.  If they see their parents or grandparents grasping at the products that are highly advertised, they learn from them that this is what they should do as well.  If they see adults on the ads looking like they are having a good time, they like what they see.  They have no idea what the consequences of those behaviors might be.  Quite frankly, it is up to us to make sure they know the real picture.  Sometimes, adults don’t even know all the ramifications.

Look in your house and see what you have in there.  Is it the full of the best of everything?  Do you have the finest car, the biggest boat, the fastest computer, the largest house in the neighborhood?  Do you give children an allowance or do they work for it?   Do you wear the finest clothes and buy them the same?

It’s really all about marketing and what is important to you as parents and grandparents. If we model and teach responsible behavior, more than likely our children will be responsible individuals.  If we communicate responsibly about drinking, partying, smoking and live a good example for them, they will likely do the same. The key is communication.

Now this puts a great deal of pressure on each of us as role models.  But isn’t that what parenting and being a responsible adult is all about?  I mean, we did sign up for the job when we decided to have children.

Media marketing reminds me of the song “Stuck in the Middle with You.” It was written in the 1970’s when a blitz in marketing was just getting started.  The song talks about staring off with nothing and being proud you’ve accomplished a great deal on your own. Friends come looking for something from you…etc.  You get the picture.

“It talks about trying to make sense of it all but it makes no sense at all.” They continue singing about “keeping a smile on their face but they are losing control and there are clowns to the left of them, jokers to the right”…and they are stuck in the middle.”

Yes, we can get wrapped up in all this media hype real fast.  We can quickly believe we have to keep up with the Joneses when, really, it’s all about what we let the media convince us is important.

In the big scheme of things, it is fine to be in a modest house, ok to drive an older car, have less expensive clothing, and comparative shop for the best and most dependable items whether they are name brand or not.  It’s also wise of us to teach our children that media is just telling us what they want us to know to buy their product…they are not out there to be our friend and they don’t tell you everything you need to know about what they are trying to do.

My wish for you today is that you do not succumb to the high pressure of media and that you keep your focus on what is really important in life. You know, like health, peace, love, responsible behavior.  It might sound sort of corny, but these things can make for a more sensible and happy you and they are certainly things your children need to see you modeling.  Try it and see how much better the quality of your life can be and you’ll never feel “stuck in the middle.”

~ Joellen

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 15th, 2007 at 4:35:am and is filed under Conflicts, Life & Events, Living Life to the Fullest, Releationships - general, Safety, Shopping, Teens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.