EC: Response to Jamie's question, week 8

Do you think anyone really can say that he/she is not impacted by advertisements?

In response to Jamie's question, I don't think that anyone in our American culture can say that they are not impacted by advertisements. We see thousands of advertisements everyday, most in the obvious mediums (ex. television, radio, internet, billboards), but we also see them in less obvious places (ex. clothing, product placement, phone applications etc.) Although we may not be positively impacted by these advertisements, meaning that they persuade us to consume a product, we still notice them and create an understanding of a certain product and how it fits into our world. Whether or not we are a fan of the product is a completely different issue. I think this ties into Jamie's question of how can we not be affected by advertisements if they hold permanent memories in our minds. I don't think it is possible to avoid being affect by advertisements in our culture. Aside from the sheer volume of advertisements that we consume on a daily basis, advertisements have affected that we interpersonally communicate with one another. Without an understanding of advertisements, it would be difficult to read into the nuances of conversations due to the references that people make to them when they communicate. Advertisements, when not openly referenced, are often used as examples, metaphors, and similes in conversation, so even if a person was able to avoid the actual advertisements, they would likely be affected by them by communicating with others. Even though we can dismiss the value of advertisements, it's impossible in modern American culture to avoid the impact of advertisements in some shape or form.