The average American is exposed to 3000 advertising messages in a single day. These blasts are designed to be very passive and create a sort of subconscious awareness in a consumerist ecosystem.
I recently watched a very unfortunate movie called, “The Book of Eli” starring Denzel Washington in a post-apocalyptic tale of religious justice and spiritually-driven ass kicking. I counted six product placement advertisements in the apocalyptic setting including KFC, Busch beer, Oprah, and Motorola — apparently the official sponsors of the apocalypse.
The problem with the human mind acting as a crap filter is the same problem any filter has — it either clogs after being overburdened or it allows stuff through that should be retained. Focus is becoming a lost art that needs to be revived.
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I counted the passes and got 13 on the first try. That I didn’t see the moon-walking bear doesn’t matter because it’s not important to my life. I know how to focus when I want to. Focusing is not a lost art. Focusing on what’s important is. This can be improved by developing the habit of doing something that really matters to you first thing in the morning before all the crap starts filtering in. I block out an hour for learning and practicing scales on the piano with a metronome and do that before allowing myself on the computer or turning on the TV. I find I’m a lot happier following the rule of “creative work first, reactive work second.” Just my 2 cents toward the revival. Thanks for the post, TK. Glad to see you back.
Just this evening on the way home from work NPRs business news program had a segment on advertising. Specifically, data is being collected on us and what we buy. The purpose, of course, is to extract ever more amounts of money.
The interesting part of the equation here is that so much info comes from cards. Check/credit cards and membership cards. With that in mind I’d suggest using cash as much as possible. Starve the beast of intel as well as money I say.
Not only that but having lived through Katrina I can assure you that cash is king when the chips are down.
And maybe, just maybe, we can have some damn peace and quiet at some point without all this bullshit advertising.
“Focusing is not a lost art. Focusing on what’s important is.”
Great point Will! By making a HABIT of doing the thing(s)of significant value every day, you insure their fulfillment and ultimately secure your HAPPINESS. Seems like we’d be better people if we took the time to: 1) define what matters in our lives 2) devote oneself daily to practicing/living/being what we truly value.
I am very clear on what matters in my life (my purpose)but need to improve my devotion/dedication to the pursuit/practice on a daily basis. Will – appreciate your insight and the inspiration.
Tommy – I believe focus is a choice. It becomes an art when practiced with concentration and DEDICATION and linked into a value system.
As for what kills our concentration/focus – the list could be endless. So, distractions must also be a choice? Some folks are addicted to distractions – their preference is to stay in a state of limbo and or restlessness. Maybe it’s an escape, a way to get out of something that they don’t want to be doing?
As for the “test”…I didn’t see the bear, I was focused on the instructions, completing the “assignment” (white team/# passes), and getting the right answer. However, as I watched the second time, I remembered seeing the figure crossing the frame; I just didn’t allow myself to focus on what that figure was or what that figure was doing.
One of those evening news (20/20 or something) shows did a similar thing. They had a whole episode on how people miss the blindingly obvious because they’re focusing on something else. They could switch the character a person was talking to, and the person might not notice, if they were intently enough focused on something else.
This actually presents a problem for the advertisers, who understandably have a different perspective on this than us hanging out at the FG cafe. There is so much advertising noise, and so much cultural clutter that to truly stop, get a consumer’s attention, and have them take 10 seconds to review your message is a gargantuan feat.
Thinking forward, this could mean a few things. It could mean ever greater saturation of advertising into our cultural space – although it’s hard to imagine how much more space can be rented out for advertising messages. It could mean ever louder and more obnoxious messaging, with crazier juxtapositions (cavemen on yachts? Danica Patrick getting hit on by the hot cop?). Those both represent yelling louder to be heard over the cacaphony.
But, money is tight also, and I can’t imagine companies are going to keep pouring money down an advertising hole if that is not returning profits. Where culture, and hence advertising goes here I think is a little bit up in the air.
You see the dancing bear. You just don’t remember it consciously. That’s why subliminal advertising works. (Yes, they DO use it, and there is no law against it.)
Product placements, etc, are very effective at pushing our lizard brain’s buttons.
Focus? If I could focus, I wouldn’t be here. I haven’t focused well since my last concussion. “We’re patient, attentive, and …OOH! LOOK AT THE MONKEYS!”