November 12

Unit 3: Critical Consumerism

It is estimated that the average 20-year-old American has seen one million commercial messages throughout his or her life. This number is sure to rise, as teens are the fastest growing consumer demographic, spending billions ($150 billion to be exact) of dollars each year, and thus commanding the rapt attention of many companies and advertisers.

This unit strives to make explicit the persuasive devices of print and televised advertising so that students may analyze their messages. Once students have done this, they compare these messages about topics such as wealth, sex, joy and beauty with their own values. Lastly, they will be encouraged to develop an understanding of how advertising either reflects or influences their own behavior and value system.