I had an interesting thought that I felt like sharing today, although admittedly I have reservations about doing so as the topic might be a tad controversial for some who tend to occupy dogmatic views on this specific subject.
I smoke (cigarettes).
I don't endorse smoking. In fact I've never given a cigarette to a non-smoker or casual smoker in my life. I might be taking health risks with my own life, but I would never be party to contributing to someone else taking those risks. Despite my smoking though I eat extremely healthy, I lift weights, (force) myself to do cardio regularly and generally have a positive and low-stress attitude towards life - in essence, aside from one bad habit I take extremely good care of myself.
So what does this have to do with PR?
For those following this blog you'll know that recently I was quite sick. Since identifying the cause (mold spores) I'm totally recovered - in fact more than recovered - I haven't felt this good in years.
I use to sleep eight hours a night and would wake up feeling tired. Being a 'tough it out' kind of guy though, I just shrugged off any tiredness and got on with the day. Now though, I'm sleeping six hours a night and wake up feeling full of energy. I feel like I'm 18-years-old again!
Quite a startling realization dawned on me today, which was:
1) I stopped seeing a doctor right around the time I took up smoking (around 18 or so)
2) During my recent illness I waited as long as possible before going to the doctor. I only went because of the prolonged nature of what was ailing me (which was probably an issue that had been building for a year or so and ultimately got so bad I couldn't ignore it).
So why did I exhibit these two traits? Yes, typical male stubbornness I suppose. Actually, it wasn't. I don't show stubbornness in any other area of my life - if I need to lose weight I'll diet, if I'm stressed out I'll address it, etc.
So I think the culprit lies elsewhere.
We've been hit over the head for decades now that if you smoke YOU WILL DIE!
You will NOT be healthy. You WILL contract cancer, emphysema, or a dozen other chronic, debilitating diseases. If you smoke you might as well play russian roulette with your life and accept the fact that at some point you are going to lose that game.
This has been the message. Fear-based, in-your-face messaging for decades. And it's worked (on some)! Smoking rates are down (which is a good thing).
While rates are down, fear-based messaging has had other consequences as well. I realized that for me, I avoided the doctor because I feared getting bad news that my smoking had caused some health issue. As long as I didn't go, I would never have to hear the bad news (totally irrational I know, but true nonetheless).
In my recent illness, which if I assess all the symptoms (some of which go back two years, and which are now gone), I chalked many of them up to smoking. Obviously if you engage in an activity that will KILL you, then one would expect that such activity would cause your body to need more rest than others, or to run you down, or cause just about any of a variety of issues you might be experiencing with your health.
And I'm not alone. Every smoker I know, when they start feeling ill or run down or whatever else, assumes it's because of the smoking. This is often what prompts people to try and kick the habit. For those of you who know smokers, you'll know what I'm talking about. Almost every attempt to quit is associated with health problems that the smoker attributes to, you guessed it, their smoking.
Let me clearly state that I am not, in anyway, endorsing smoking on this blog with what I'm about to say.
So having said that, I do think the years of fear-based messaging we've been exposed to has had some negative effects, specifically on smokers.
The fear-based messaging model, while scaring some folks from smoking, has also caused a lot of smokers (I know I'm not alone in this) to assume that just about any health problem they have is caused by smoking. So unless they are prepared to quit smoking, why bother going to the doctor or dealing with it, because the doctor is just going to tell you to quit smoking right? Even though it's irrational, it does make sense when you look at it a certain way.
Yet, the reality is that not all health problems are a result of smoking (especially if you are young - odds are you are sick from something other than the smoking, even if it has contributed to making you more susceptible to whatever health issue you are experiencing). My health issues were not due to smoking. One day they may be (assuming I keep smoking, which I don't plan to do for the rest of my life), but right now they aren't. Yet I foolishly assumed they were. I was afraid to use the health care system because from a young age I was conditioned to be afraid of the consequences of smoking.
Despite being physically healthy, having great teeth, and exhibiting none of the symptoms I was so afraid of, I nonetheless assumed that any health issues that cropped up HAD to be from smoking.
I'm not saying it's someone else's fault that I didn't go to the doctor. In the end we each are personally responsible for our behavior and actions in life - we make choices, we live with those choices.
But that doesn't mean that we can't acknowledge that fear-based messaging, while being well intentioned, doesn't just impact people in positive ways (by keeping them away from dangerous activities), it also can have negative impacts in how it affects behaviors in some people.
If I hadn't been so afraid that my symptoms were smoking related I likely would have gone to the doctors a year-or-two ago and nipped this health issue in the bud when it likely first started!
Now, if instead of fear-based messaging growing up I had been exposed to pro-health messages - something like "If you smoke you MUST see a doctor every year" - who knows, perhaps I'd have had the attitude that going to the doctor would ensure that should a health issue arise from smoking that I'd catch it early and nip it in the bud. I'm not saying we shouldn't give people the facts about smoking, including all the bad things that can happen from, but is 'scaring people straight' the best option?
For decades we've shunned pro-health messages in favor of fear-based messages because fear works. If you want to STOP people from doing something, the easiest way to do that is to make them afraid of doing it! There's a reason anything that is poison has a picture of a skull and crossbones - drink this and you'll die and end up a skeleton.
My recent illness and experience with the health care system has made me realize how much of my decision making was stemming from long-term exposure to fear-based messaging associated with cigarettes. Not only did it not prevent me from smoking, it made me fearful of health care services (right now I can just imagine non-smokers still scratching their heads as to why this would be, and smokers nodding their heads in agreement).
From a PR perspective I think this is a great example of how important your messaging strategy is. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and while fear-based messaging might seem like it makes sense (and for things like cleaning supplies it surely does), and might even have positive results, one should really think hard about the full spectrum of results it may have on various publics. This holds true not just for health promotion, but I'd argue for all areas of society. Did the fear-based messaging of the Bush administration really have just positive consequences? Sure, it rallied unity, but did it also fuel prejudice and hate? (I'll leave that for another discussion though).
Sometimes it's easy to message what the mob will quickly rally around and support - but does that make it the right message? I'd argue not always, which is why PR folks have such a critical role in shaping our social norms and world-at-large, because what we communicate helps shape the way people think and behave.
In closing, for all you smokers reading this, if you haven't seen a doctor in years (like myself), get your butt in there. It makes no sense to opt-out of health services that are there to benefit you just because of some irrational fear that you might get bad news. I have my first physical in 15 years booked in two weeks from now and I'm actually looking forward to it.
And for any PR folks reading this, next time you are creating messages for public consumption take some time to think through the different ways in which various audiences might interpret your messages. That is the key to good messaging, truly understanding the different audiences who will be receiving the message and how each of them will interpret what you are saying.
I smoke (cigarettes).
I don't endorse smoking. In fact I've never given a cigarette to a non-smoker or casual smoker in my life. I might be taking health risks with my own life, but I would never be party to contributing to someone else taking those risks. Despite my smoking though I eat extremely healthy, I lift weights, (force) myself to do cardio regularly and generally have a positive and low-stress attitude towards life - in essence, aside from one bad habit I take extremely good care of myself.
So what does this have to do with PR?
For those following this blog you'll know that recently I was quite sick. Since identifying the cause (mold spores) I'm totally recovered - in fact more than recovered - I haven't felt this good in years.
Quite a startling realization dawned on me today, which was:
1) I stopped seeing a doctor right around the time I took up smoking (around 18 or so)
2) During my recent illness I waited as long as possible before going to the doctor. I only went because of the prolonged nature of what was ailing me (which was probably an issue that had been building for a year or so and ultimately got so bad I couldn't ignore it).
So why did I exhibit these two traits? Yes, typical male stubbornness I suppose. Actually, it wasn't. I don't show stubbornness in any other area of my life - if I need to lose weight I'll diet, if I'm stressed out I'll address it, etc.
So I think the culprit lies elsewhere.
We've been hit over the head for decades now that if you smoke YOU WILL DIE!
You will NOT be healthy. You WILL contract cancer, emphysema, or a dozen other chronic, debilitating diseases. If you smoke you might as well play russian roulette with your life and accept the fact that at some point you are going to lose that game.
This has been the message. Fear-based, in-your-face messaging for decades. And it's worked (on some)! Smoking rates are down (which is a good thing).
 | ||
| Kind of ironic - smoking will kill you now go see your doctor and find out if you're dying =) | (ummmm - no thanks) |
While rates are down, fear-based messaging has had other consequences as well. I realized that for me, I avoided the doctor because I feared getting bad news that my smoking had caused some health issue. As long as I didn't go, I would never have to hear the bad news (totally irrational I know, but true nonetheless).
In my recent illness, which if I assess all the symptoms (some of which go back two years, and which are now gone), I chalked many of them up to smoking. Obviously if you engage in an activity that will KILL you, then one would expect that such activity would cause your body to need more rest than others, or to run you down, or cause just about any of a variety of issues you might be experiencing with your health.
And I'm not alone. Every smoker I know, when they start feeling ill or run down or whatever else, assumes it's because of the smoking. This is often what prompts people to try and kick the habit. For those of you who know smokers, you'll know what I'm talking about. Almost every attempt to quit is associated with health problems that the smoker attributes to, you guessed it, their smoking.
Let me clearly state that I am not, in anyway, endorsing smoking on this blog with what I'm about to say.
So having said that, I do think the years of fear-based messaging we've been exposed to has had some negative effects, specifically on smokers.
The fear-based messaging model, while scaring some folks from smoking, has also caused a lot of smokers (I know I'm not alone in this) to assume that just about any health problem they have is caused by smoking. So unless they are prepared to quit smoking, why bother going to the doctor or dealing with it, because the doctor is just going to tell you to quit smoking right? Even though it's irrational, it does make sense when you look at it a certain way.
Yet, the reality is that not all health problems are a result of smoking (especially if you are young - odds are you are sick from something other than the smoking, even if it has contributed to making you more susceptible to whatever health issue you are experiencing). My health issues were not due to smoking. One day they may be (assuming I keep smoking, which I don't plan to do for the rest of my life), but right now they aren't. Yet I foolishly assumed they were. I was afraid to use the health care system because from a young age I was conditioned to be afraid of the consequences of smoking.
Despite being physically healthy, having great teeth, and exhibiting none of the symptoms I was so afraid of, I nonetheless assumed that any health issues that cropped up HAD to be from smoking.
I'm not saying it's someone else's fault that I didn't go to the doctor. In the end we each are personally responsible for our behavior and actions in life - we make choices, we live with those choices.
But that doesn't mean that we can't acknowledge that fear-based messaging, while being well intentioned, doesn't just impact people in positive ways (by keeping them away from dangerous activities), it also can have negative impacts in how it affects behaviors in some people.
If I hadn't been so afraid that my symptoms were smoking related I likely would have gone to the doctors a year-or-two ago and nipped this health issue in the bud when it likely first started!
Now, if instead of fear-based messaging growing up I had been exposed to pro-health messages - something like "If you smoke you MUST see a doctor every year" - who knows, perhaps I'd have had the attitude that going to the doctor would ensure that should a health issue arise from smoking that I'd catch it early and nip it in the bud. I'm not saying we shouldn't give people the facts about smoking, including all the bad things that can happen from, but is 'scaring people straight' the best option?
My recent illness and experience with the health care system has made me realize how much of my decision making was stemming from long-term exposure to fear-based messaging associated with cigarettes. Not only did it not prevent me from smoking, it made me fearful of health care services (right now I can just imagine non-smokers still scratching their heads as to why this would be, and smokers nodding their heads in agreement).
From a PR perspective I think this is a great example of how important your messaging strategy is. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and while fear-based messaging might seem like it makes sense (and for things like cleaning supplies it surely does), and might even have positive results, one should really think hard about the full spectrum of results it may have on various publics. This holds true not just for health promotion, but I'd argue for all areas of society. Did the fear-based messaging of the Bush administration really have just positive consequences? Sure, it rallied unity, but did it also fuel prejudice and hate? (I'll leave that for another discussion though).
Sometimes it's easy to message what the mob will quickly rally around and support - but does that make it the right message? I'd argue not always, which is why PR folks have such a critical role in shaping our social norms and world-at-large, because what we communicate helps shape the way people think and behave.
In closing, for all you smokers reading this, if you haven't seen a doctor in years (like myself), get your butt in there. It makes no sense to opt-out of health services that are there to benefit you just because of some irrational fear that you might get bad news. I have my first physical in 15 years booked in two weeks from now and I'm actually looking forward to it.
And for any PR folks reading this, next time you are creating messages for public consumption take some time to think through the different ways in which various audiences might interpret your messages. That is the key to good messaging, truly understanding the different audiences who will be receiving the message and how each of them will interpret what you are saying.
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