My Generation=Iphone -->Use Me!

            Being new to the advertising major, the presentation by Dietmar Dahmen

was an exciting way to learn about the broad range of advertising in our fast-paced society. One aspect of the presentation that caught my eye was the statistics about how the world of technology has rapidly spread to all countries. I was shocked to find out that there are about 6 billion mobile phones as of February 2011, which means more people have phones than toothbrushes and even clean water! To know that people in other countries have access to text or call someone but don’t have the bare necessity of clean water to drink is mind-bottling. I knew that technology was taking over the current generation but I had no idea that it has interwoven itself as deeply as a component in life that ranks above clean drinking water. In a way it is depressing that companies are putting all their money, time, ideas, and effort into finding new ways to improve their phone or new apps, when the focus should be on creating new ways to get everyone drinking water. Yes, it is exciting when Apple releases a new Iphone or Facebook promotes their newest updates, but it would be much more humanely beneficial to announce that everyone in the world is healthy and hydrated instead of tech savvy.

            But why are we so addicted to our beloved iPhones when just mere years ago it didn’t even exist and we all were doing just fine with our lives. Dahmen answered this question by stating to us that the phone requires ultra low mental cost and ultra low access cost. With unlimited texting, free Wifi, and the internet at your fingertips, the mobile phone provides easy-access information and entertainment all in one mobile device. To think that most of us would choose free wifi over using a swimming pool at a hotel is surprising yet realistic in this decade. When I look around though on campus it is clearly apparent that we have been taken over by a device that fits in the palm of our hand.

            With the technology growing day by day, I wanted to find out about the possible side effects we are already experiencing/expect to experience from overuse of technology in our daily lives. From personal experience, I feel that the excessive use of technology is causing people to become extremely open on the web (like status updates on Twitter) while becoming distant in real life. Also, people are a lot less sociable/approachable in social settings since they seclude themselves to their phone. I found an article from Biola Magazine where a psychologist informs the reader of the impact that overuse of technology has on our brains, such as making us less adaptable as human beings. Below is the link to the article.

http://magazine.biola.edu/article/10-fall/how-is-technology-shaping-generation-y/

            Dahmen’s presentation was as rapid and constantly evolving as the technology around us is. With the latest updates always popping out of nowhere we are living in an exciting time, but once in awhile we should step back to admire the newest update before rushing to create a new one. Until this presentation I never really noticed how connected we are to technology as a society and how advertising plays a huge role in promoting and selling the latest products to keep technology up to par so we all can have the latest update. 

Advertising: The Good and the Bad

Having grown up in a suburban area with a relatively high amount of advertising everywhere I look, I have seen a wide range of advertising. For the majority, the world of advertising and its positive influence excites me because it has the high potential of producing results one couldn't by themselves. When I see a commercial calling to viewers to adopt a puppy or a flyer at school promoting that we should donate to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, it gives a sense of hope that this little bit of advertising can reach many to make a remarkable difference. The way advertisers creatively come up with catchy slogans, unique imagery, and overall capture the attention of the public is quite interesting and striking. How a group of people create an eye-catching piece to promote their message to millions is what makes me curious to find out more about the world of advertising. On the other hand, advertising does have an unfortunate effect on the public which could lead to negative results. When I see ads of gorgeously unreal celebrities or commercials urging me to try a supplement to become skinnier, these types of advertisements have the same effect, if not more, than the positive types of advertisements. When natural beauty and healthy ways of living are not conveyed in a realistic manner, these advertisements can have a nasty effect on individuals who may soon doubt themselves. Advertising is exciting in the way that it can inspire change but depending on its message it can be viewed as destructive or helpful.