Max Stossel Exposes How Advertising is Destroying Everything in This Eye-Opening Ted Talk

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

Advertising is Destroying Everything | Max Stossel | TEDxUNC (Links to an external site.)
Do you listen to or watch Ted Talks? There are some terrific discussions out there.
In this Ted Talk about advertising, Stossel talks about how the goal of advertising and social media is to maximize the time we spend with their products. It doesn’t mean it’s time well spent, it’s just time spent. How much time do you think you spend viewing advertising in a day? What are the different sources of advertising you come into contact with daily?
He proposes some good questions about whether or not we can trust the news. Also about whether or not “free” services are free, and whether or not they should be.
Do you use Facebook? Instagram? Snapchat? Would you pay for it if it wasn’t free?
His conclusion revolves around the idea that the future does not revolve around screens, it revolves around humanity.
What do you think? Do his ideas speak to you? Do you see yourself in his analyses?
How could you take his suggestions and put them into practice? Your answer should not be “Just put down my phone.”

HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)

Max Stossel explores the detrimental effects of advertising and social media on our lives and society in his “Advertising is Destroying Everything” TEDxUNC talk. Stossel contends that social media and advertising’s main objective is to increase the amount of time we spend interacting with their goods, regardless of whether that time is productive or not.

Because advertisements are so pervasive and frequently go unnoticed, it is challenging to determine how much time we spend viewing them each day. Billboards, TV ads, online ads, and sponsored social media postings are just a few of the different ways we encounter advertising.

Important issues such as whether “free” platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are genuinely free are brought up by Stossel while discussing the veracity of the news. He asks audience members to think about whether they would be prepared to pay for these services if they weren’t provided for free.

Stossel concludes that people will be the center of the future rather than screens. I can relate to his beliefs since I’ve seen how excessive screen usage affects my relationships and mental health. I am aware of the necessity of valuing our time and humanity above mindless screen scrolling.

We may start putting Stossel’s advice into action by examining the information sources we use cautiously, setting screen time limits, and emphasizing connections with people and events in the real world. We can take part in activities that encourage real human interaction and personal development rather than idly skimming through social media feeds.

In summary, Stossel’s TEDxUNC talk makes a strong case for the negative impact of advertising and social media on our lives and society. It is up to us to take responsibility and put our time and humanity before mindless screen scrolling.