Rant: aware consumers and manipulation
It seems to me that some people are slowly waking up to the old tactics of manipulation that have dominated advertising for the greater part of the 20th century. We may be on our way to becoming Aware Consumers. I’m still working to define Aware Consumers (your help welcomed), but previously I wrote this about the concept:
Is it possible for us to be alert, knowledgeable, and sophisticated consumers of products, services and politics? I think so. It’s not about controlling or letting out, but rather observing ourselves: the ways we consume, why we consume and slowly, gradually allowing this awareness to impact our decisions on what to purchase and whom to elect.
But, as I think about this, I’m not so sure. Are people really waking up to manipulation or are we just trading one kind of manipulation for another?
Are we destined to be manipulated by advertising, design, politicians, etc?
I would like to think that we can become aware of how we are being manipulated (and I don’t mean this word in the strictly negative sense) by observing our own behavior, understanding why we do what we do, and naturally letting our awareness shape our decision making.
But that sounds like a lot of effort, and I’m not convinced that the payoff is big enough. Think about it. Being manipulated feels good. I get the product I want, which makes me happy for a bit, until I want another product, which I then buy, which, again, feels good, and so on and so forth.
The alternative (becoming aware of why we do what we do) requires concentration, deep thought, and results in freedom, but (often) not in a new shiny toy.
Ok, fine. Maybe there is a balance here. Maybe it’s good to be aware of why we do what we do, but at the same time allow ourselves to be emotionally caught up in the various products and services of our day.
The awareness protects us from over-manipulation and the indulging every once in a while ensures that we are able to sustain the awareness (i.e. provides a pay off).
As the title suggests, this is a rant. Please chime in with your opinion.
