Manipulation of the Mind

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Many people think that “brainwashing” goes against all moral principles, but millions of people are “brainwashed” every day just by their surroundings. In a city, it seems that one cannot walk 10 feet without being bombarded with advertisements repeatedly urging the public to purchase their products. Soon, people believe they need these products; they cannot seem to function without them. When one is around friends, family, and complete strangers, they can be compelled to jump on the bandwagon without even realizing it. On an even deeper level are the needs of the mind. If someone thinks about something long enough, they will start to believe it. If they try to forget certain things that cause pain or depression, those memories could be hidden forever. In his novel, The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan illustrates manipulation of the mind through consumerism, societal influences, and the desire to meet psychological needs.
Commercialism is the practice of using advertising strategies to appeal to the interests of potential customers for the purpose of turning a profit, and it relies heavily on consumerism. Millions of people all over the world are exposed to advertisements everyday that are created to increase public desire in different companies’ products, and many of these people are naïve children. The desires of children are often exploited by large corporations because people of younger ages are just seen as corruptible minds. A study shows that children from the ages of four all the way up to their teens spend more than $130 billion put together every year (“Youth-Oriented Advertising”). The entire notion of consumerism since its beginnings has always been persuasive and manipulative. After World War II, Americans were compe...

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..., Tricia. "What Are Social Influences?" Wisegeek. Conjecture, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 5 May 2014. .
"The Rise of American Consumerism." PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 May 2014. .
Sagan, Carl. The Demon-haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York: Ballantine, 1997. Print.
"Study Looks at 'Controlled' Forgetting." Science Online. Facts On File, 5 July 2011. Web. 5 May 2014. .
"Youth-Oriented Advertising." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 23 Aug. 2004. Web. 24 May 2014.

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