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If advertising works on average, then there is a discussion about ethics that is worth having. Falling back on individual responsibility might be popular but i

If advertising works on average, then there is a discussion about ethics that is worth having. Falling back on individual responsibility might be popular but it is absolutely a cop out. We're playing a numbers game with public health in an adversarial environment. Relying absolutely on what individuals could or should do isn't going to help us win that game.

IncRnd 5y ago
Why do you say that individual responsibility is a cop out? People can read the labels and ingredients on a package of food. This is true even for those people who never question why they are purchasing food in boxes instead of actual food.
- NoSorryCannot 5y ago
  It's a cop out to defer to individual responsibility and ignore all the other tools that are available to improve public health. We know that there's a rich corpus of psychological research that provides tools that we know can be used to affect behavior and choices. It's being used to sell us things that are bad for us and that same research should be used to inform regulation policy and public health communications.
  - IncRnd 5y ago
    Nobody is ignoring the tools that are available to improve public health. Two of those tools, the ingredients list and the nutritional information, are there to support individual responsibility through informed personal choices. It is best to understand that people can make informed choices. It is very shortsighted to think that everyone is subject to the magical sway of marketing without a conscience or decision making abilities. The existence of personal choice and individual responsibility don't make anything else that you mention disappear. Are you saying you want to increase behavior modification of people and somehow rob people of personal choice? That's what your words imply.
    - criddell 5y ago
      You seem to be assuming that people are rational.
    - NoSorryCannot 5y ago
      My words do not imply that.

IncRnd 5y ago

Why do you say that individual responsibility is a cop out? People can read the labels and ingredients on a package of food. This is true even for those people who never question why they are purchasing food in boxes instead of actual food.

NoSorryCannot 5y ago
It's a cop out to defer to individual responsibility and ignore all the other tools that are available to improve public health. We know that there's a rich corpus of psychological research that provides tools that we know can be used to affect behavior and choices. It's being used to sell us things that are bad for us and that same research should be used to inform regulation policy and public health communications.
- IncRnd 5y ago
  Nobody is ignoring the tools that are available to improve public health. Two of those tools, the ingredients list and the nutritional information, are there to support individual responsibility through informed personal choices. It is best to understand that people can make informed choices. It is very shortsighted to think that everyone is subject to the magical sway of marketing without a conscience or decision making abilities. The existence of personal choice and individual responsibility don't make anything else that you mention disappear. Are you saying you want to increase behavior modification of people and somehow rob people of personal choice? That's what your words imply.
  - criddell 5y ago
    You seem to be assuming that people are rational.
  - NoSorryCannot 5y ago
    My words do not imply that.