English Language GCSE- Persuasive Writing- Write an article for your school
magazine persuading the readers to agree with your views on: “Advertising is
just another source of pressure that is unnecessary in the lives of today’s
teenagers”
The Avarice in Advertising: The Truth Behind the Scenes
Snap! With the click of a shutter, anybody can become their own personal
advertiser. In the dawn of a social era, we are endlessly bombarded with
advertisements from all of the familiar culprits: Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram.
It’s undeniable that the never ending stream is dangerously detrimental to your
wellbeing (yes, you), but how exactly does this world of influencers and marketing
executives warp our mindsets?
It’s not a secret that the glamorous, shiny, sophisticated world of advertising is
far from factual… and yet we continue to consume the lies fed to us by servants to
corporate greed. Imagine an outstanding beverage, proclaimed to be the nectar of
Homer’s gods, shining like gold with some form of supernatural glory. In reality, it’s
milk. Advertisers meticulously conjure the impeccable methods to manipulate our
minds and hearts. With the millions of promotions we are exposed to each day, this
is beginning to take its toll. Dr Sarah Goodwin of Queen’s University Belfast,
alongside many others, expresses her heartfelt concern over the alarming statistics
in this incendiary industry. In studies conducted at QUB, a staggering three quarters
of young people were proven to be near-clinically gullible, compared to merely one
fifth twenty years ago. Experts like Goodwin attribute this terrifying trend to the
impact of advertising on our critical thinking, with our logic and common sense
becoming grotesquely distorted. Advertising is causing our strength to falter. It’s
causing our minds to weaken. It’s causing the truth to become increasingly murky,
like a muddy puddle. In a world which has become a political minefield, this is an
extra pressure that we shouldn’t need to overcome to manage our daily lives.
Furthermore, the attack on our minds isn’t the only obstacle that we face from
advertising- there’s also the never ceasing pressure to conform to advertisement’s
standard of perfection. It clutches our hearts in its vice-like grip. I ask you know: how
, many of you have been forced to feel atrocious and ashamed from an
advertisement? You’re not alone. I certainly know that I have forced myself to fit the
mould of the perfect life perpetuated by advertising campaigners; I have forced
myself into yearning for the perfect home, perfect body, perfect holiday. Many will
futilely argue that advertising offers astounding opportunities to our generation with
its precious promos and marvellous models. To this I simply respond that these
things are exactly the problem! It’s impossible not to succumb to the pressure to be
perfect. When we can’t afford that “heavenly holiday” or the next great trend, what
are we left with? Advertisers exploit this shame to further line their own pockets
which is why we, their victims, must take a stand.
Today I challenge you to not nod along passively at the next television
advertisement you see, to scroll past the next social media promotion. Instead, I
challenge you to hold the perpetrators responsible. With the power of the people,
you have the ability to bring about change, the ability to support honest advertising
networks, the ability to force social media platforms to raise their age limits to protect
those more vulnerable than yourself. The power is in your hands.
Full marks essay
A*
Essay Plan
For the Proposition
● Social media means that advertising is everywhere
● False opinions distort our views
● Pressure to live up to a perfect, airbrushed world
● Solution: schools should invest in teaching critical thinking and social
platforms should be held accountable and enforce age policies
● Exploiting teenagers’ needs and underdeveloped minds for profit (link in facts
about the adolescent brain)
magazine persuading the readers to agree with your views on: “Advertising is
just another source of pressure that is unnecessary in the lives of today’s
teenagers”
The Avarice in Advertising: The Truth Behind the Scenes
Snap! With the click of a shutter, anybody can become their own personal
advertiser. In the dawn of a social era, we are endlessly bombarded with
advertisements from all of the familiar culprits: Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram.
It’s undeniable that the never ending stream is dangerously detrimental to your
wellbeing (yes, you), but how exactly does this world of influencers and marketing
executives warp our mindsets?
It’s not a secret that the glamorous, shiny, sophisticated world of advertising is
far from factual… and yet we continue to consume the lies fed to us by servants to
corporate greed. Imagine an outstanding beverage, proclaimed to be the nectar of
Homer’s gods, shining like gold with some form of supernatural glory. In reality, it’s
milk. Advertisers meticulously conjure the impeccable methods to manipulate our
minds and hearts. With the millions of promotions we are exposed to each day, this
is beginning to take its toll. Dr Sarah Goodwin of Queen’s University Belfast,
alongside many others, expresses her heartfelt concern over the alarming statistics
in this incendiary industry. In studies conducted at QUB, a staggering three quarters
of young people were proven to be near-clinically gullible, compared to merely one
fifth twenty years ago. Experts like Goodwin attribute this terrifying trend to the
impact of advertising on our critical thinking, with our logic and common sense
becoming grotesquely distorted. Advertising is causing our strength to falter. It’s
causing our minds to weaken. It’s causing the truth to become increasingly murky,
like a muddy puddle. In a world which has become a political minefield, this is an
extra pressure that we shouldn’t need to overcome to manage our daily lives.
Furthermore, the attack on our minds isn’t the only obstacle that we face from
advertising- there’s also the never ceasing pressure to conform to advertisement’s
standard of perfection. It clutches our hearts in its vice-like grip. I ask you know: how
, many of you have been forced to feel atrocious and ashamed from an
advertisement? You’re not alone. I certainly know that I have forced myself to fit the
mould of the perfect life perpetuated by advertising campaigners; I have forced
myself into yearning for the perfect home, perfect body, perfect holiday. Many will
futilely argue that advertising offers astounding opportunities to our generation with
its precious promos and marvellous models. To this I simply respond that these
things are exactly the problem! It’s impossible not to succumb to the pressure to be
perfect. When we can’t afford that “heavenly holiday” or the next great trend, what
are we left with? Advertisers exploit this shame to further line their own pockets
which is why we, their victims, must take a stand.
Today I challenge you to not nod along passively at the next television
advertisement you see, to scroll past the next social media promotion. Instead, I
challenge you to hold the perpetrators responsible. With the power of the people,
you have the ability to bring about change, the ability to support honest advertising
networks, the ability to force social media platforms to raise their age limits to protect
those more vulnerable than yourself. The power is in your hands.
Full marks essay
A*
Essay Plan
For the Proposition
● Social media means that advertising is everywhere
● False opinions distort our views
● Pressure to live up to a perfect, airbrushed world
● Solution: schools should invest in teaching critical thinking and social
platforms should be held accountable and enforce age policies
● Exploiting teenagers’ needs and underdeveloped minds for profit (link in facts
about the adolescent brain)
