Hey, there’s a saying that goes: People’s opinions are like bellybuttons; everyone has
one.
So true.
It’s part of what makes us individuals, adds variety to life!
But have you ever wondered if your beliefs are really your own?
What if it was put there by someone else without you even noticing?
Oooh, strap in, folks, this is going to be a deep one!
Nah, don’t worry – I’m not going to get all existential on you.
But the question popped up in my head the other day as I was scrolling through my feed.
I sat there, certain as the sky is blue, that no ad or news piece changes the way I think
or makes me wanna buy something.
I mean, think about it: if I KNOW that a commercial or sponsored social media post is designed
to manipulate how I think about something, then how could it work?
Plus, do you even pay attention to ads?
Pff, we all skip ‘em!
So, I started digging, and I was shocked when I found out all the tricks the commercial
media uses to influence us!
- The crazy thing is, many of the techniques rely on our own mind’s participation.
And most of them have been around for a looong time.
There’s this thing psychologists call The Sleeper Effect, and it’s been observed since
the late 1940s.
This is where you get a piece of information that sounds like it could be true at first,
but you dismiss it as soon as you notice that it’s likely just biased propaganda.
However, psychologists found that after some time, despite being perceptive enough to “know
better” when first presented with the message, people – yes, that means you AND me – come
to accept it!
Why?
In a nutshell, if the initial message is strong enough, the message will stick in our minds
longer than the source, even when we wrote the source off as unreliable.
You know those quotes you see in ads for a movie with giant bold text that says something
like “The Best Film of the Summer”?
You ever bother to notice who said it?
I almost always do, because, well, I consider myself a pretty observant guy that can’t
be fooled!
I may even roll my eyes when I notice that the person quoted works for the same company
that made the movie.
“Of course he said that!
He’s just trying to sell me a ticket!”
Still, that Friday night when a friend asks me if I saw that new dinosaur movie, I’ll
find myself saying something like, “No.
But I hear it’s great!”… just before I step up to the ticket window and say “Two
for Jurassic Jaws Part 8, please!”
And big surprise – it was not the best movie of the summer.
See what I mean?
- Then there’s The Framing Effect, which is all about perception.
After all, language can be tricky and when it comes to how we want someone to think about
something, it’s not always about what we say, but how we say it.
The way something is “framed” can affect everything, from how we interpret a story
in the news to what shampoo you decide to buy.
You’re a lot more likely to buy a product that’s “90% effective” than one that’s
“10% ineffective” right?
And what about “80% lean” beef?
Sure sounds better than “20% fat” beef!
You see the power of language is pretty much everywhere.
Where one person sees an old beat-up wardrobe, others call it an “antique”!
And here’s an interesting statistic I read: people are more likely to react to the word
“overpayment” than the word “discount.”
One study found that 93% of people check in for a flight earlier when they know they must
pay more for checking in later.
Yet only 67% check in earlier when there’s a discount for early check-in.
See?
This stuff even affects our behavior!
- Have you ever heard of The Semmelweis Reflex?
Before I started looking into all this, I hadn’t either, but I knew the gist - I just
didn’t know it had a name until now.
Basically, this is where we just see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.
It’s named after a Hungarian doctor, named Semmelweis who came to the shocking discovery
that by washing his hands, his patients tended to, ya know, not get sick or infected.
When he presented this to his colleagues and suggested that they wash their hands too,
they rejected his idea due to a lack of scientific evidence.
Their strongly instilled belief was that a gentleman’s hands couldn’t transmit disease.
Sheesh!
Well, that was way back in 1846, and we’ve come a long way since then.
Still, Dr. Semmelweis’ story doesn’t end well and handwashing didn’t become commonplace
for another hundred years!
So, what does this have to do with how mass media can control our mind?
Easy.
We’re bombarded with so many sources of information every day, our brain chooses to
digest the ones that fit in with the expectations and beliefs we already have.
We become less likely to accept any new knowledge that contradicts what we’re convinced we
already know.
Therefore we watch the same channels, visit the same websites, and trust the same sources.
Check it out: a fan of Meghan Markle can look at a picture of her and think, “Wow, isn’t
she just the epitome of perfection!”
Her critics, however, will focus on the wrinkles in her dress and think, “Ugh, she’s always
so unkempt!”
(Those people must be blind, but that’s just my biased opinion!)
Basically, we see what we want to see because that makes us feel like our opinion is verified!
- When something terrible happens to lots of people it’s a statistic.
When it happens to one person, it’s a tragedy.
This is called The Identifiable Victim Effect, and it colors how we process everything from
world news to public policy.
It happens because a story about one specific person is more persuasive and relatable than
one that involves a bunch of stats and data.
In 2007, a group of researchers gave two groups of participants $5 and a questionnaire.
The first group’s questionnaire began with a message full of convincing statistics about
the population of a country and its people in need of assistance.
The second group received a questionnaire that contained a picture of a small child
that noted their “life would be changed for the better as a result of your financial
gift”.
Each group was then asked if they’d like to donate a portion of their five dollars.
No surprise here – the first group donated an average of 23%, while the second doubled
this and gave 46%.
- Anchoring is a pretty useful trick too.
It’s something we all do and smart advertisers, marketers, and salespeople know it and use
it all the time.
It’s where we create a bias based on the first small piece of information we get and
rely a little too much on that “anchor” before we get to the rest of the boat.
Take Instagram, for example.
You can take a picture of something or someone, crop a piece of it, and present that part
as the whole.
You know, like that selfie where it looks like you’re out in the woods on an adventurous
camping trip.
But if we could zoom out, we’d see you’re just standing near a few trees and bushes
in your neighbor's backyard.
(But that wouldn’t get as many likes now, would it?)
In marketing terms, it’s where we’re presented with a high price for something first, establishing
our bias of what that thing costs, and then it’s presented with a “great deal” at
a lower price.
Like that coat you tried on that looks perfect on you has a price tag that says $500, and
the salesperson tells you it’s on sale for $150.
SOLD!
Then a season goes by and you see the same coat on a clearance rack for 50 bucks.
Yup, that’s the Anchor Effect.
- One of the slickest tricks is how the commercial media knows we all underestimate the power
and influence it has over us.
Sure, it happens to everyone else, but me?
C’mon, I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again – I’m too smart for that!
This is where we run into The Third Person Effect.
We separate ourselves from everyone else and, in the process, increase our own self-esteem.
Believe it or not, it’s likely that the more someone believes they’re incapable
of being influenced, the more vulnerable they are to it!
Weird, right?
That must mean I’m super gullible!
But think about it – if none of this stuff worked, and I know my mind can’t be shaped
by someone else, why would companies be spending so much time, energy, and money on trying
to influence us?
Because.
It.
Works.
Look, I totally get it – you start down this rabbit hole and watch a video about how
our minds and decisions are being affected without our consent and it can seem like a
real downer.
“We’re all just pawns in these corporations’ game of manipulation!”
But come on, this is the Bright Side, not the Debbie Downers!
What I’m saying is, simply being aware of these things gives us more control over our
minds.
It’s called having a “healthy skepticism” for a reason.
Emphasis on the healthy.
And, of course, making the informed decision to always stay up-to-date on the Bright Side
certainly doesn’t hurt either!
So now let’s hear from you.
How have you noticed the media influence you or your friends?
Let me know down in the comments!
If you learned something new today then give this video a like and share it with a friend.
But – hey!
Don’t go swallowing the media’s nonsense just yet!
We have over 2,000 cool videos for you to check out.
All you have to do is pick the left or right video, click on it, and enjoy!
Stay on the Bright Side of life!