I’m sure you have heard the saying, “We only use 10 percent of our brains.” This has been used in countless TV shows and mov- ies. This concept is the basis for movies like “Lucy” and of course the movie/TV show “Limitless,” where the star takes a grown up version of Adderall and is able to access the other 90 percent.
Great concept, but Hollywood conve- niently leaves out that we only use 10 percent of our brains because the other 90 percent is behind the scenes doing all the things we don’t think about. To put it into movie terms, think of that 10 percent as Bradley Cooper and the other actors, then think of the other 90 percent as all the people who help make the movie, the ones you never see.
As students, we all have that moment when we wish that we had a little something extra to help us get through a class project or a paper and we all could also use a boost in studying for finals. Once upon a time, coffee was that boost, then along came caffeine pills and energy drinks to corner the market. As an older student, I could definitely use some miracle product that would save me from an- other coffee induced all-nighter homework/ study session. My wife, being my number motivator to do well in school, thought that she may have found an answer to help me with memory and focus issues.
While doing a completely unrelated web search, she stumbled across what she thought was an article about a natural way to help boost ones memory and concentra- tion. However, upon reading, she discovered it was merely an advertisement for a pill called Geniux (merely one of several brands) which was “developed to boost memory and focus.” If true, this would be great because it would make French class so much easier.
At first, she thought this is something I should check out, but in her rush to email me the link, she did not read all the way to the bottom of the page; where it says it bold letters “THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT AN ACTUAL NEWS ARTICLE.” Underneath it says “Representations re- garding the efficacy and safety of GeniuxTM have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.”
These companies market toward stu- dents or those working in a high pressure profession. The company produces articles which grab people’s attention and makes them think, “Wow! I could really use this.” They put in pictures and graphics meant to distract you from the fact that they are really just selling you something that may or may not actually work.
Before you know it, you are shelling out nearly $40 a bottle or maybe you fall for one of the package deals where you are getting multiple bottles for what seems like a discount and maybe they throw in a T-shirt.
Sadly I speak from experience, hav-
ing fallen for such scams with weight loss/exercise pills and yet here I am still an “out of shape,” old fat guy.
These products are even more prevalent now in the age of Internet and social media. Back in the days when you actually had to make a phone call or mail in a form you had time to think about your decision. Now with Twitter and Facebook you can click on a link and spend your hard earned money on these things all before you have the time to regret your decision.
Geniux even faked a tweet from @Lim- itlessMovie from the day after the movie opened thanking the fans for mak- ing it the number one movie. First off they misspelled the word movie, and they added in this “And thanks to the makers of Geniux pills/E-Huperzine for the inspiration! #Limitless,” and if that isn’t enough to make you skep- tical, this pill was given the kiss of death by being endorsed by Dr. Oz.
