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| Advertising is another contributor to the rapid growth of globalization. When you can go from the United States to the most remote area in Africa and find an advertisement for Coca Cola, it shows how much advertising and globalization work together to bring the world in touch with each other. The problem with advertising is that America continues to tell us we always need more and better things, and one of the main targets is children. Advertising industries spend over twelve billion dollars alone on advertisements for children, with the goal of making kids think they need the products in order to be accepted. The average child in a Western society sees about 40,000 ads per year, whether on TV, the Internet, or at school. Children and youth want more and more things because the ads say they need them, their peers are getting them, and parents are buying things in place of spending time with their children. But not everyone can go to the store and buy a shirt, a pair of shoes, or the latest CD or DVD. This is a luxury many of us take for granted. And while we have that luxury, much of what we buy is made in another country such as China, Malaysia, Mexico or Thailand, and in some cases, under harsh conditions and horrible pay. What is our responsibility as Christians? Should we buy name brand clothing if it has been produced under bad conditions? Is wearing a status symbol more important than the conditions the people are working in? The other side of this aspect of globalization is that many people are without jobs in these countries, and when large industries come along and offer them jobs, it is a good opportunity to make much-needed money for their livelihood. However, if, in the long run, the industry strips the countryside of natural resources and greatly increases pollution, then this third world community is more hurt than helped. Continued... |
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