Reclaiming Your Identity By: Gina Caudle

Did you know that a new era of slavery has begun? Its true; just ask the new pink i hone ! you re"ently bought# $r your %etfli& bill that just "a'e in the 'ail or the (eeses peanut butter "up you wasted your last dollar on) or even the bo& your healthy *outh Bea"h Diet "ho"olate "ake "a'e in# *in"e youve already fallen vi"ti' to it) 'aybe you dont reali+e it# But its true; you and 'illions of other people are be"o'ing slaves to an advertising industry that has stripped you of your integrity# Consider your identity and what defines it# ,re any of the ite's 'entioned above a part of it? $r is it "o'posed of 'orals and values? ,dvertising has "ast a spell) one that has transfor'ed individuals into ravenous "onsu'ers who believe that any proble') e'otion) "raving "an be treated with so'e sort of "o''odity# %ow that a new industriali+ed infor'ation age sweeps so"iety) we 'ust rise above its i'pa"t and raise awareness# -rnest Boyer) for'er .#*# Co''issioner of -du"ation urges) /It is no longer enough si'ply to read and write# *tudents 'ust also be"o'e literate in the understanding of visual i'ages# $ur "hildren 'ust learn how to spot a stereotype) isolate a so"ial "li"h0) and distinguish fa"ts fro' propaganda) analysis fro' banter) and i'portant news fro' "overage#1 ,ds have 'ade 'illions of both "hildren and adults trust that these produ"ts that are "onstantly pro'oted are the answer to the struggles we fa"e in reality) when really they deteriorate our ability to dire"tly "o''uni"ate and analy+e our behaviors# (ather than buying another beer to sooth that heada"he) lay down and 'aybe take a nap# $n"e youre rela&ed you "an identify what "aused the heada"he and find a reliable, realistic solution to "orre"t it# Stop looking to ele"troni"s to spend your leisure ti'e) be"o'e physi"ally involved in so'ething 'eaningful# 2ho knows) you 'ight dis"over a new passion that will leave you satisfied for longer than twenty 'inutes# Separate yourself fro' all the 'aterialisti" things that have been robbing you of your individuality# Educate yourself with

fa"ts and "ut out the fi"tion) and re"ogni+e that e'otions advertised fro' propaganda are artifi"ial; re"lai' yourself# If youre "ontent wasting your 'oney and being a blind sheep) please) "ontinue to indulge in whatever har'ful /good1 you 'ay desire# But) when the day "o'es that you reali+e your pink ors"he is nothing but a hoopty with so'e quick fixes slapped on) dont say you werent warned#