People and Brands: Attention Seekers

            I agree with the 9^th thesis of attention, which is that the Internet turns us into attention seekers. While some would say that this is especially true with the millennial generation, I feel that all generations are guilty of this. Two real-life examples of the Internet turning us into attention seekers is first, through the world of brands, and second, through the world of social media. As an advertising major, I almost contradict myself in saying that all brands are constantly seeking our attention in creative, simple, or even irritating ways. One place you kind find this on Twitter through what is trending, which you can right away find on the homepage.

            Some of the brands sponsor trends and pay money just to get people to notice them, and people fall for it. While people attempt to come up with creative ways to use hashtags and trends, this ultimately goes back to seeking attention. Another example of this is publicly complaining about a product or bad experience with a company through the use of social media. If in person, someone is most likely not going to make a big deal about a bad experience. Behind a computer screen, they have the ability to have all eyes of them and express what they are truly feeling. While many of my peers have been guilty of this, I feel that it is another shout at attention whether someone is praising the brand or digging it into the ground. If it is praise, this also focuses positive attention on the brand.

            Ultimately, Internet and the use of social media has only encouraged people to seek attention through a screen and make them fall for things that they would not have otherwise considered if they were in person. It is no longer the quality of the product or the personality of the person, but it instead how many followers a product has on Twitter or how many likes a person’s picture has on Instagram. This is what our society has involved into, and while it can be good for advertising it can also be bad for people and our means of communication. I fully believe that people should not seek attention desperately through the Internet, but instead seek attention through their humble actions and praise from others.