How free are our choices, really? We tend to believe that we decide what to buy, what to eat, and how to present ourselves. However, an important question arises: are these truly our own decisions, or are they shaped by marketing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern marketing is no longer just advertising \u2014 it is a system that shapes habits. Many things that seem natural are actually created artificially. For example, chips with cola or popcorn at the cinema. Why should a movie feel \u201cbetter\u201d with popcorn? No one forces us to feel so, yet we do. And these associations are built over time and become normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The influence of marketing is especially visible in food. We constantly see ads for fast food, sugary drinks, and snacks, but rarely for a healthy lifestyle. This is not accidental. Such products are easier to sell because they give quick pleasure. Marketing reinforces this, as its main goal is profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People become victims of marketing not because they are unintelligent, but because it targets emotions. We want to fit into society, to feel confident and successful. Advertising promises: buy this, and you will become better. There is also pressure \u2014 \u201climited offer,\u201d \u201conly today.\u201d As a result, many decisions are made impulsively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One also wonders, who is more influenced by it \u2014 men or women? There is no clear answer, really. Women are often targeted through beauty standards, while men are influenced through ideas of status and success. In the end, both are affected, just in different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another issue is the shift in values. A high price might indicate quality, but this is not universally true. People pay for brands and the image rather than real value. As such, purchases become a way to express identity instead of meeting real needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media strengthens this influence even more. It creates an image of a perfect life and shapes new desires. Influencers become part of marketing, and users begin to compare themselves to others and feel that something is missing. This again leads to consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can this be avoided? Completely \u2014 no. Marketing is everywhere. But what people can <\/em>do is become more aware. Asking a simple question \u2014 \u201cDo I really need this?\u201d \u2014 can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because, on the whole, we become victims of marketing only when we stop thinking about our decisions. Awareness helps us take back control. For, perhaps, real freedom lies not in the absence of influence, a thing we are unlikely to get anytime soon. It lies in our ability to understand and see through things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zarina Askar kyzy<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo: Pexels – Lifeofnacchi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How free are our choices, really? We tend to believe that we decide what to buy, what to eat, and how to present ourselves. However, an important question arises: are these truly our own decisions, or are they shaped by marketing? Modern marketing is no longer just advertising \u2014 it is a system that shapes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[20],"class_list":["post-511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized-en","tag-vistula-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":513,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511\/revisions\/513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monitor.vistula.edu.pl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}