What we learn depends on where we put our attention. As a matter of fact, the first job of an infant is to learn how to pay attention to the high-value behavior of the people around him, and to disregard sparkly objects that his significant caretakers do not consider important.
Technology is a powerful teacher, the supreme “sparkly object.” But the purpose of the Internet is the same as the purpose of TV to a previous generation. Why is it possible to turn on a TV and watch interesting programming for free? Because the purpose of TV is
to sell you stuff. Commercials are the point of TV, and the programming is a means to get you to view the commercials. And why is it possible to turn on the Internet and play tons of games, connect with friends, and see tons of interesting content? Because the purpose of the Internet is also
to sell you stuff. Sometimes ads pop up on Internet sites. But sometimes the ads are indirect; the website you view is collecting information about you that is then sold to an advertiser. Or the number of hits a website collects verifies its popularity, and advertisers on that site are guaranteed their ad will attract a verifiable number of eyeballs.
How well do students understand the underlying structure of the Internet? If we use technology for learning and teaching, how much do we need to take into account the attractiveness of the sites to learners who cannot understand why the technology is available?
In this discussion we’ll go back to a simpler time, and study TV. You will examine how an advertisement–be it a TV commercial, a print ad, a radio ad, or a website–uses media to direct your attention to the advertisers’ highest value: insuring you purchase their product.
Review
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Classic selective attention test
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Links to an external site.
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· Danovitch JH.
Growing up with Google: How children’s understanding and use of internet based devices relates to cognitive development.
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Links to an external site.
· Hum Behav & Emerg Tech. 2019;1:81–90.
https://doi-org.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/10.1002/hbe2.142
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Links to an external site.
· Halverson, N.
Reveal: Harpooned by Facebook
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Links to an external site.
· . Podcast. 51 minutes or read transcript. August 3, 2019
· Frontline. PBS.
The Merchants of Cool
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· : How Advertising Affects Today’s Teens. Video. 58 minutes.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/
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Links to an external site.
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This is Your Brain on Ads
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Links to an external site.
· Skip ahead to start at :13 minutes
· Wilson, M.
The Web is Basically One Giant Targeted Ad Now
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Links to an external site.
· . Fast Company: June 1, 2017.
Write
Search You Tube for an advertisement or television commercial that you find intriguing. Any commercial, past or present, is acceptable. However, you may not select a commercial that is already described by a classmate in this Discussion. Provide us a link so we may review the commercial, too.
From the 1950s through 2000 network television was the major mass media. Think of the commercial as a tiny instructional lesson, only seconds long. What is the sponsor telling us directly? What is the sponsor telling us indirectly? Cite at least one of the Resources in your post. Don’t forget to give us a link to your commercial.
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=Jt-Xki0O6xQ
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