PARSONS SCHOOL OF
DESIGN PRESENTS:

Lavannya Suressh

Creative Technologist with a passion for data, storytelling, and interactive art
Creative Technologist with a passion for data, storytelling, and interactive art

ADVERTISING DEBT

ADVERTISING DEBT

How to Pretend You Care About Financial Responsibility While Pushing People Into Debt

This project delves into the harmful effects of social media targeted advertising on personal finances, particularly the potential consequences of GenZ’s limited credit and spending power being targeted by Buy Now Pay Later Apps. By exploring the stories often overlooked amidst the vast amount of social media information, this project aims to raise awareness of the true impact of targeted advertising and how it can lead to financial manipulation and burden. In a humorous twist, the project uses cookies as a metaphor for transactional information that can be exploited, allowing users to interact with a storyline where decisions made for a character lead them down a path of debt through levels of manipulation.

The Game-Play

One of the game boards

Instructions:

  1. Look at the cookies displayed on the screen and choose the one that corresponds to the action you want to take from the board.
  2. Take the chosen cookie and place it on the designated spot on the board. Gently tap the cookie to execute your decision.
  3. After executing your decision, put the cookie back to its original position on the board.

Cookies:

The use of non-linear storytelling methods, paired with brutally honest visuals, can be a powerful way to convey a message. By drawing inspiration from the “if ads were brutally honest” sketches, this approach leverages humor to help the audience perceive the scenario lightheartedly while still conveying a critical underlying narrative.

With the addition of a Data board, users can interact with a network of interlinked information, giving them a behind-the-scenes view of how their personal data is collected and analyzed to draw conclusions about their interests and buying habits. The physicality of the board and its accompanying cookies adds an element of interactivity that allows users to explore different paths and outcomes, making it a valuable tool for learning about the dangers of targeted advertising.