There is in our current culture a lack of knowledge on how to reflect critically, or even how to think critically, which has had a deleterious effect on our society, especially politically. In a talk given at the Music Personnel Conference 45 of the Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio, Lorna Ozman revealed how emotional appeals are more successful than intellectual appeals in persuading people, and are being used more often in everything from public radio fundraisers to political speeches. Short term memory resides in the left side of the brain, where logic takes place. Long term memory resides in the right side of the brain, where emotions are. If someone wants to say something that is memorable, they should appeal to the emotions of the listeners. Messages nowadays are less about facts and figures and more about the emotional reasons to take action.
Also, attention spans are shrinking. Sound bites have shrunk from 45 seconds in 1968 to 8 seconds today, according to Ozman. This is distressing. We are forgetting how to think critically, and instead are being emotionally manipulated by members the media, and are reacting emotionally when it comes time to make our most important decisions - what to buy, who to buy from, what policies to support, who to vote for.
Ever wonder why so many of us bought SUVs in the 90s? These were gas guzzling behemoths; it wasn't a smart buy, and with the average American family not exceeding 5 people, it wasn't a necessary buy. But advertisements for these vehicles appealed to our emotions. A bride ignores worried phone messages from her mother as she drives through the backwoods to the voice of the announcer saying, "Get away from it all in our new Isuzu Rodeo SUV." "It's never too late to have a happy childhood," says the announcer as a child in a mud puddle grows up to run his V6 Isuzu Rodeo through the mud. Neato! I'll buy one. Forget environmental concerns and my wallet. I want a Fun-mobile with a powerful engine. And when the price of a tank of gas rose to $3.00, you couldn't give those things away.
It's our own fault that they take this approach. We failed to watch news programs that were informative and challenging, and instead tuned into fluff and entertainment. In the end, the advertisers and the politicians gave us what they knew we wanted. We need to teach ourselves how to reflect critically, and then, by engaging in critical reflection, make it a part of our society again.
