According to marketing and the division of advertising most people are swayed psychologically by it and are apt to purchase things without even thinking. Apparently Americans don’t know what they are spending their money on even if they create a budget. The question is this true for everyone? Is everyone not aware of what they are doing? Can people be swayed by advertising this easily? My personal answer to this question is no. There is so much “noise” in the media in today’s world that can be ruled out if people think clearly and are aware of what is going on. Thinking critically, focusing on personal values, goals, etc are key to spending and doing things in your life that you really want. This question can be very complex but here is my brief stance on it.
People are attacked everyday but vast kinds of marketing. Some examples are television, newspapers, magazines, billboards, the internet, etc. If these kinds of advertising media are plaguing individuals there are ways to rule it out because it can be very annoying and create a “taste” for a product that you really don’t want or need. It is true that this is psychological but if someone is an intelligent and clear thinking individual they can overcome it. They can always ask themselves questions like do I really want this? Why do I want this? What benefit will it bring me? Will it help my standard of living; make my life easier, can I accomplish the same thing with another product instead? , etc. This may not work for everyone but asking questions are a way to rule out what you really want and what “you think you might want”. People can also rule out these kinds of media that you really don’t need or want as well. As I’ve stating throughout this blog all these things may not work for everyone but some of them should work for everyone. All it takes is a little bit of discipline in getting what you want like an exercise routine or any other way in setting a goal that you might want to achieve. I have personally ruled out television in my life for about twelve years now, I don’t read magazines/newspapers that don’t interest me (the same can go for any printed reading material you are not interested in or something you want to stop reading), billboards are hard to avoid as you may walk or drive by them, and lastly if you want to avoid advertisements on the internet you can simply not go online as often. Instead you can take the time to think of your own personal goals, clear your head, and do things that you truly enjoy! All of this may be defined as selective exposure. It may be a biased thing but with all the advertisements and media targeting people every day it is now necessary. It has gotten severely out of control.
There are other concepts and ideas from the textbook that can also be applied to this subject. When purchasing an item individuals can make a more throughout post purchase evaluation. Most people only spend no more than five minutes on their evaluation. But as a person after every purchase you could make a thorough analysis of how you feel about the product. If you notice a positive or negative pattern you can plan accordingly in the future rather than purchasing something you don’t want blindly.
With the post purchase evaluation you can also think clearly when it comes to “impulse buying”. Impulse buying usually occurs typically when you are on a vacation where you save money to have a nice time on your trip and you are there to spend money to enjoy yourself. Some other examples are when you go to the mall to get one set item and you might buy other unplanned items and usually you expect that when you go to the mall or when you go to a convience store and you get a snack. Impulse buying isn’t always bad but it can become an addiction. If you think clearly and ask yourself questions when you see an item you want or “have to have” think about it yourself as a person, your goals, if it exemplifies who you are, and if you really need the item even if you can easily afford it.
It is lastly difficult in our American society where television, shopping, and the media are now widely accepted at the norm. Our “mainstream culture” (which is not the only culture in America because there are divisions of other cultures), our self concept, lifestyle, or our reference group may be contrary against what you really want to do or what you’d like to spend. Again the bottom line of this message is to not do something you don’t really want so thinking about it critically and consciously is key and again rule out things that you really don’t want or need in your life that will help you achieve your goals.
Personally I don’t feel that people are not in control of their spending but they are in a fog because they are not thinking about it. All it takes is some efforts to achieve what you want and in this advertising and spending will not control the American people.
Do you feel you are in control of your own personal spending? Are you swayed by advertising in getting something or wanting something you don’t really need? Are these psychological tools overbearing/over powerful in the sense that you cannot overcome them? Would you be willing to rule out the “media noise” in your life to achieve what you really want?
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