There was a time when our television viewing habits were more restrictive. This television show comes on between the hours of 8:00 to 10:00 everyday. It gets high ratings because the show is entertaining and it’s on at a time when most people watch television. Advertisers would spend millions on a 30 second spot to sell all of those people a product. Presidential campaign season could be seen the same way at this time with political ads geared toward the audience to sell a candidate. At some point someone got tired of commercials and not being able to watch their favorite TV show at 5:15 in the morning, and TiVO and the internet was invented. Constructed cable television was destroyed and had to be changed and altered to adapt to the internet. How can a corporation sell a product without the control over what you want to watch? The same can be said about a political candidate…. Advertisers have gotten creative…. Streaming downloaded videos with commercial breaks for candidates…. Internet banners to give candidates exposure…. Advertisements within the content….. If you happen to watch any form of constructed television which, still has a purpose, mainly out of finding interests or television shows through internet searches, than you will be bombarded by advertisements. If you’re a member of a low socio-economic class you will be bombarded by advertisers looking for ways to control thought processes such as a Presidential candidate. I’m actually watching television right now and I can’t believe how much of a deterrent not to vote has the onslaught of commercials for presidential candidates been over the past hour.
References
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems.
