Advertising conditions us to process information in an undesirable way. It relies on bright, shiny objects to impress a particular product onto our memory. The actual information about a product’s value in advertisements is subordinate to attractive visuals and clever language. The advertiser must get the audience’s attention and hold it for a very short time lest we nip off to the kitchen or the bathroom. This isn’t the advertiser’s fault; after all, he or she has a job to do. Nevertheless, advertising conditions us to have tiny attention spans, to have little patience for information, and to expect entertainment rather than education. It’s the enemy of critical thinking.