We are always “immersed in a sea of
persuasion”. Any time you sit down to watch some television, drive down the
street, go to the store, or check your email or social network, running in to
some form of persuasion is inevitable. As of right now, when I try and think of
specific examples of persuasion what comes to mind is the Presidential election.
Although people are always using various methods to persuade us to buy a
particular product, take a certain stand on an issue, or do things differently
with our lives, I’d like to use the sea of persuasion involving the election as
my example because it has been EVERYWHERE for quite some time now.
The past few months I haven’t been
able to drive down the street, turn on my television, or even check my facebook
without being bombarded with information trying to sway me one way or another
regards to the election. On television you see various campaign advertisements
either boasting of one candidate’s successes, or totally trying to drag the
other one through the mud. Driving down the street you would see billboards and
homemade signs praising a certain candidate, or ones blaming a candidate for
certain financial ruins. You see
flyers and propaganda nearly everywhere you go. I think the persuasion
concerning the election that I’ve had to see in social networking has been the
most frustrating. Every time I log in to facebook I’m seeing tons of propaganda
posted by my friends, and have even had my friends with opposing viewpoints
target me and vehemently try to change my mind about who I felt should be
President (which of course didn’t work). Even after the election is over my
newsfeed is STILL flooded with election propaganda.
In general, to be a more critical
consumer on persuasive messages I feel that it is important to do your research
before making any decisions. Never take anything at its word. You must act as a
“gatekeeper” and screen the persuasive information you receive in order to make
sure you make the most informed decisions. This is something that I feel was
definitely important in the time leading up to the election. Anyone can say
anything, so often things are taken out of context, manipulated, or just false.
They can also be true, but it’s our job to make sure we get to the bottom of
things so that we aren’t persuaded with incorrect information.
I completely agree with you about the elections and I am glad they are over. Facebook was definitely the most persuasive methods in my opinion, only because I don’t watch too much TV. Especially during the campaigns! Everyone took a side and bashed the other candidate, even though they don’t have solid evidence. Honestly I don’t think anybody knows what the truth is when it comes to politicians, and that’s how it’s been for years sadly. They all say they want to do well and point the finger at someone else when it comes down to it. There are all these "facts" out there but who knows what they are. Anyways, during election time I agree that persuasion is everywhere. TV ads, billboards, magazines, newspapers, and are almost on every other lawn. I’m just glad it’s over for now!
ReplyDeleteYes, the election was definitely something which provoked lots of people to try to persuade for different candidates. Like you stated, it is important to try to figure out the right facts before one goes around either supporting or degrading a political figure (and for the record, I think those commercials of either candidate endorsing messages are saddening). We must be careful because, especially in politics, people lie. There are just bound to be lies there because everyone thinks their way is the right way. Too bad you had to witness your social media networks blow up with political propaganda; I deleted my Facebook years ago and I can honestly say it has saved me hours of time. The only thing I miss is seeing friends' pictures, especially the ones who live far away. Anyway, continue being an informed consumer of persuasion and great post.
ReplyDeleteHi Elise H.-
ReplyDeleteI read and wrote about the same section as you did (I think) on page 274. I also compared it to what we all just had to endure with the last political season. If I read it correctly, it sounds like you probably voted for the same guy I did (sorry). One other aspect I had added was in the the third paragraph, it talks about the distinction between "persuasion" and "Coercion". Since I was writing about my connection to the political environment we all witnessed, I included that definition of coercion to read " when a person is forced to think a certain way or feels compelled to act under pressure or threat...". Doesn't that sound like a lot of those political commercials? To me, the coercion came in the form of fear mongering. Not exactly persuasion, huh? I liked your post. Good to hear there others out there that think smartly.
F.D.
It is so interesting to think about how we are constantly surrounded by persuasive messages. Not only is every commercial and almost every show on TV filled with persuasive messages, but so are a lot of the images we see other places. This political season, like most, was filled with persuasive messages. They try to convince you to vote for them, vote against their rival, or even try to disprove their opponent. But the bottom line is to persuade people to vote for them. I personally hate watching any political ads because I feel like they do not speak the whole truth. They say whatever they can just to get the vote.
ReplyDelete