Saturday, March 23, 2013

May the sunLIGHT be with you?

Okay, I just saw this truly ridiculous commercial advertisement for a 'natural light' visor that (supposedly) is a supplemental light boost claiming to be a natural means of reducing occurrences of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), helping to lift your spirits and keep you productive all year-round... And all for only 4 easy payments of $19.95! But, who in their right mind would even pay $19.95 for an LED light on a visor, nevertheless four installments of $19.95? Certainly not me!

It's hard to believe that people can be duped into buying products like this so easily, but that's because of the way the product is promoted and advertised. For example, this so-called therapeutic 'visor light' claims to significantly reduce occurrences of SAD syndrome. Given the fact that we all feel sad from time-to-time, most people believe they fall into the category of individuals who need this type of therapy to make or keep them upbeat and happy. It's people like these that are more likely to purchase a product than not, and that's what advertisers are counting on. As a matter of fact, advertisers focus on building a customer base from individuals like you and I, who want to be healthy and happy but aren't sure how to go about it.  
 
The sad thing is, there are so many products out there that lay claim to fixing nearly every physical, mental or emotion problem you have, that it's virtually impossible to NOT get caught up in the act of least buying one of them. Over the years, I myself, have fallen for various products that claim to be able to cure this and that, or reduce the effects of this or that. However, I'm now a lot wiser, thank heavens!

Getting back to the subject of the 'therapeutic natural light' visor, the advertisement suggests that if used for 20 minutes per day, one can expect this natural light supplement to enhance overall wellness, increase energy and emotional positivity, among other things. Now that is probably enough to entice the majority of us to buy a therapeutic natural light visor in itself, but why would you? You can get the same results without purchasing a thing by simply opening the blinds or curtains. How about popping outside the home or office for a short break to take in some 'real' sunlight? It costs nothing, and you get all the therapeutic sunshine you need.

This particular commercial I watched for the visor said that most people don't get enough real sunlight during the fall and winter months because they are not out-and-about as much as they are in the spring and summer months. But, even though we're not frolicking around on the beach, or biking, hiking, boating or what have you, doesn't mean we're not getting that "20 minutes" of natural sunlight we supposedly need.

Just because you can't see the sun through the clouds, doesn't mean you're not reaping its benefits. If that were the case, there would be no need to use sunscreen in overcast weather, right? The bottom line here is that seeing is not always believing. You do not need to spend $99 for a 'natural light' visor to provide the benefits of natural light when all you need to do is open the curtains or step outside. 

Don't be fooled into spending your hard-earned money on gimmicks that are simply that-- Gimmicks!