This is the first post in a series called Commercialism and Faith, in which I will explore the relationship between the language of our culture (commercialism) and how we view and relate to God.
This series is not a knock against commercialism as much as it is an exploration of the effects of the cultural language on how we think about the world and specifically how we think about God. Commercials are
simply an exchange of information about the availability of products and services. The idea of a commercial is, in my opinion, morally neutral. That said, I think you will be surprised at how much your thinking, and even your emotional well-being, is affected by advertising.
The average American encounters 3000 commercial messages each day. Whether this is a radio commercial, a magazine ad, a logo on the side of a coffee cup or a billboard we pass on the highway, these images and messages are designed to cause to you think of your life as incomplete, and desire the product they are selling to make your life complete again.
A standard formula used in many commercials is twofold: 1. To illicit a thought in the viewer that theirlife is not satisfactory and then 2. To convince the viewer their life could be made satisfactory with the introduction of said product. If you hear theses messages 3000 times per day, your brain becomes programmed to think in this pattern. Rather than being satisfied, a person begins to believe their life is lacking, whether it is actually lacking or not.
The idea is to convince you that you aren’t going to be happy unless you purchase something. And make no mistake, this is a powerful manipulative tool. Some experts have referred to advertising as the “relentless propaganda on behalf of goods in general.” R. Crisp argued in an article in the Journal of Business Ethics that advertising overrides a consumer’s autonomy of decision making in the creation of desires, correlating an unbreakable link between products and the fulfillment of stimulated desires.” In other words, advertising is designed to hijack your brain by dictating what you desire.
As I launch this series, I want to ask that you become aware of how much advertising you encounter in a day. At first, you’ll notice only some of it, but as you practice, you will quickly realize how 3000 encounters is certainly realistic.
What if part of your emotional well-being is affected by the messages of advertising? And while you certainly can’t get away from it, what if you could come to a theological understanding that would mitigate the affect of these messages? This is the point of this series.
Before my next post, try doing two things:
1. Pay attention to as many commercial messages as you can. Have a mental clicker (not really a counter, because you’ll lose count and quit) running at all times, and just say to yourself, that’s a commercial message, there’s a billboard, a logo, a magazine ad, a radio commercial, or a television spot. I think you’ll agree you are constantly being sold something.
2. Pay specific attention to how many times you hear “Are you tired of?” and “You deserve” kinds of messages. Some will be blatant, and some will not come out and say this, but will certainly make you feel it. An image of the shiny new car makes you tired of your old car. This is powerful conditioning. This is the kind of message that is making you feel like something is wrong with your life.
Now, don’t try to actually change the way you think or react. Psychologists have found awareness is more powerful than resistance. What that means is if you try to fight something, your brain resists change and fights against you. Instead, place no judgment on your findings. Simply note whether or not the commercial contains a manipulative message. Does it make you feel incomplete or inadequate? If so, make a mental note and move on.
Slowly, what will begin to happen is you will stop believing the commercials, and you will begin to be happier. No kidding, it works.
In my next post, I’ll talk a little more about what commercials are doing to your brain, and throughout this series, I’ll be talking about how they affect your view of God, and cause you to misunderstand what He is doing in your life. The next post in this series will launch on Monday, and each new piece will launch on M/W/F, though there may be other blog entries in between. Thanks for your interest.
