We Are The Robots
The following reads like a stream of consciousness. It really all ties together but I couldn’t be bothered to organize it anymore today.
My friend and I had an interesting conversation today about how more and more people seem to be in a deep trance, consistently on auto-pilot. My memories tell me this phenomenon didn’t really begin on such a wide scale until the late 80’s. He made the point that it was about that time when the so-called “information age” really began to turn its wheels. We are now constantly bombarded with mass media and useless information. It seems to be a natural reaction for humans to tune out to protect themselves. It’s quite sad really. Reality is now an extreme social construct and most people no longer live their lives deliberately.
I have lived in many countries across the globe, and I can tell you Americans take the cake for their number of automatons. Americans represent approximately only 6% of the world’s population, and yet they consume about 57% of the world advertising!? Yes, that’s right. How much of your day is spent being programmed by the mass media or the Internet which spins loads of half-truths. I am amazed we don’t have more schizophrenic cases in this country. Oh, wait, we’re OK because more than 10 million children in the US are being issued antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs.
Everything is fine. Back to sleep…
No, no. Wake Up! I have a thoughtful message to convey…
As I look at one of my bookshelves I see two titles that are worth mentioning in this post: Words That Sell and More Words That Sell. Ads that contain certain words measurably sell more product. To demonstrate I will create a worthless fictitious product called ‘EasiTime‘. What its purpose is makes no difference. Let me whip up a quick ad using some effective words.
Introducing The New Mega EasiTime!
Dear Friend:
Could you use an extra $1000 a month? Success starts with EasiTime.
Join the small handful of people who use EasiTime like a millionaire.
You’ll fall in love with EasiTime when you realize how quick and easy it is to use…
With AMAZING results!
ACT NOW!
Well, there are some other copywriting techniques involved here, but as you can see some words are more powerful than others. They’re like triggers.
Did you ever wonder why most supermarkets are laid out in a certain way? Why do you think the produce section is on one side of the market and the bread is on the opposite side? They force you to basically walk the entire market and put goodies in your path. Most goodies have been tested to be impulse buys, and they are usually situated at the end of every aisle. Every product has its special place in a market because psychologists study the data obtained from consumer discount and member cards. Their main purpose is not to give you a discount. It is to study consumer’s buying habits, as well as increase loyalty.
Next time you’re in a market, notice the products they put at eye level and compare them to other products which are below eye level. Statistically it is said by researchers that products at eye level sell much more product.
You’ll also find that in most of these product’s ads, animals, babies or sexually appealing images are used predominantly. Hopefully, they don’t cross any lines and begin using all three in the same ad, but I wouldn’t put it past some the major marketing firms to come up with a way to do it. More than half of commercials on TV seem to include these images.
A more recent tactic is bundle pricing. It almost looks like a “Buy 2 for 1″ kind of thing at first blush, but it isn’t really. It is used to increase the consumer’s perception of the value of the product. For example, they offer 2 gallons of milk for $5.99. If you choose to read the tiny lettering you will realize that you can buy 1 gallon of milk for half that price, but many consumers automatically think, “Oh! I can get 2 for that low price?” Sneaky fuckers, aren’t they?
The bundle pricing ploy reminds me of a time in High School. I was about 16 years old. My friend and I were completely broke, but we wanted to go to the movies. We were so bored and desperate we thought about asking for spare change. At that moment a girl I knew from school walked by. I’d already been studying psychology, mostly in the library after school, and it occured to me that if she were to ask older men for a specific amount of money for bus fair, she’d most likely get it. We watched her for about an hour in amazement. She’d amassed about $40 within an hour and took half.
Panhandlers seem to have recently discovered this technique. They no longer ask for spare change, but usually an exact amount like 23 cents so they can eat or 95 cents so they can put gas in their car and get their family to their destination. People respond more favorably when given a thoughtful justification.
Take the time to notice propaganda and mass media in everday life. Reverse engineer your social construct of reality. Just becoming conscious of it is enough to begin protecting yourself.
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by intent that my
thoughts aquire speed,
The dream aquires form,
The form pervades certainty.
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
admin :: Sep.13.2007 :: propaganda :: 2 Comments »
I can share the sense of despair that is expressed in this post. For me, it is easier to handle when you understand what is going on – and these posts of yours contribute to that understanding.
Mabe you are already familiar with Spiral Dynamics. I think it is another great contribution – worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Thanks, Graham.
Yes, that post was a little more emotional than most, but like you said the more aware you are, the easier it is to handle. Unfortunately, many people do not want to be aware because they unconsciously equate limitation with security.
I have started looking at Sprial Dynamics after you mentioned it last time. I’d seen it before but never took the time to really study it. Thanks for the tip. It is nice to have you here.
By the way, for some reason your comments don’t post directly, so sometimes there is a bit of a delay.
Allen