Read the given case and answer the following question.
In episode two of the British science-fiction anthology series Black Mirror, entitled "Fifteen Million Merits", Bingham Madsen (played by Daniel Kaluuya) lives in an enclosed society. Citizens spend their days on stationary bikes, peddling furiously for merits -- a form ofcurrency used to buy food, goods, and entertainment. Bing lives a room made of screens. Periodically, these screens fill with advertisements for game shows, and contests, and porn. If Bing wants to stop an ad, he must pay a substantial fee of merits. (If he shouts (Note: likely typo for 'shuts') his eyes, the ad will simply pause until he opens them again.) At one point in the episode, Bing's account is drained and he is unable to escape a particularly upsetting ad.In our own society, advertisements are everywhere. Think, about how many ads you encounter in a single day (ex. While driving, listening to the radio, watching Hulu, listening to Spotify, opening your mail, checking your email, watching YouTube). It's nearly impossible to separate desiredcontent from undesirable content perhaps you're able to splurge on an ad-free subscription to Hulu, or upgrade to a premium account on spotify. If so, you occupy a privileged position. Not everyone can afford to 'opt out" so to speak. Nevertheless, even if you' research able to cut back on the amount of advertisements you're exposed to, a large number of ads still reach you.
Recently, after appreciating the sheer number of ads I'm forced to watch on a daily basis to consume my desiredcontent. I began to contemplate how these advertisements might be affecting my psyche. Many ads, I realized, prey primarily on our insecurities. Oh you don't have this? Well you need it! If you're going to be thin/well-liked successful/beautiful. A great many start by convincing you of your inadequacy -- of your ordinariness or general lacking -- before moving on to why their product will help cure you.
a. Advertising, according to the passage, is manipulation of human consciousness. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this claim? Explain your answer.
b. Pick up one advertisement of your choice and describe different tools and techniques used to manipulate the consciousness of the consumers.