Brainwashing

Brainwashing is the bread and butter tactic for many dictatorships or authoritarian governments to maintain control over the population. However, brainwashing is simply a form of social influence, which happens to us all the time. Every time we browse social media, or watch an advertisement, or even talk to a friend, we are being socially influenced. Brainwashing is simply the cumulative effect of targeted interactions altering our perception of the world.

One of the primary hallmarks of brainwashing is repetition. Often, if we hear something enough times, we start to believe it. Dictatorships such as North Korea implement this by having speakers installed in each house. These speakers, which never turn off, relay announcements and messages from the government. This allows them to repeat certain messages without inhibition. Advertisements operate the same way. Most advertisers know that simply watching the advertisement won't inspire you to buy their product. However, after listening to the advertisement enough times, the idea of the advertiser will take root in your mind. Unconsciously, your actions will be biased in favor of the advertiser. For instance, when offered a choice between products, you will be far more likely to choose the one that has been advertised to you. Even news networks use repetition to essentially brainwash people into believing what they say. Certain stories will be repeated throughout the day, making them more believable. Historically, we have seen unscrupulous news networks use this tactic to make people believe ridiculous things, such as alien sightings.

Peer pressure is also an integral part of brainwashing. When one is surrounded by people who strongly believe in something, they are generally swayed to believe the same thing. Dictatorships achieve this by incarcerating or executing anyone who disagrees with the established doctrine. Doing so not only increases fear of rebellion, but it also creates an environment of complete faith in the doctrine. Surprisingly, internet browsers use this element of brainwashing to their advantage. Depending on your location, different searches will yield different results. This means that certain internet browsers cultivate pockets of like-minded thinking, increasing polarization and hooking consumers onto their browser for "accurate" information. In reality, the accuracy of information is often determined by the beliefs of those around you, who will either verify or deny what you believe to be true. When many people in an area verify each others beliefs, everyone in that area is left feeling like they must be right. This opens the door to easy manipulation of beliefs in favor of a certain cause.

One of the most overlooked elements of brainwashing is ease of access. Simply put, humans like being told what to do. For example, a blood drive was opening at a college. As an experiment, two distinct emails were sent to students to notify them of the blood drive. One email urged the students to donate blood. The email contained the location of the blood drive and the times it was open. The second email had the exact same wording as the first. However, it also gave the students directions to the blood drive based on classroom location, and it recommended a time slot to visit the blood drive based on the student's schedule. When sent the second email, students were many times more likely to donate blood than if they received the first email. This is because the brain is more willing to take a path with no obstacles and as little thinking as possible. Brainwashing uses this feature to its advantage. People will be given an easy explanation or solution to a problem. Ignoring the feasibility of this recommendation, many will fall into the trap of believing it. This is because the brain wants to do as little thinking as possible.

Unfortunately, knowing how brainwashing is done doesn't prevent it from happening. Much of brainwashing happens in our subconscious, preventing us from truly controlling it. However, understanding brainwashing can help us recognize and avoid it. We may have an implicit bias towards companies that advertise to us, but we can note our bias and take it into account when making decisions. Hopefully, this article will help you become cognizant of the social influencing that happens to all of us.