People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening

Advertisers are hired to promote the sale of products, so naturally they want to know about their consumers. They run focus groups, subscribe to expensive culture spying websites, with the goal of really understanding teenagers. No, not understanding teenagers- understanding what makes them want to buy things. This tactic, almost fake empathy, is used to sell anything and everything. It is really a shame that advertisers are the only ones listening, but they're not listening. They're hearing without listening. They hear what they want to hear; what teenagers buy. They don't really listen or care about anything else teens might be trying to say. But that's not their job. Advertisers shouldn't be concerned with anything else. The problem is that no one else is listening either. Politicians, teachers, even parents or adults in general, rarely ever do they really listen to teenagers and take what they say seriously. Teenagers are expected to talk without speaking- be concerned with getting a prom dress, not about the AIDS pandemic. So many teens don't even vote, and it's probably because they believe they can't make a difference. They've been indirectly told that their opinions don't matter, so why bother give them? People should start listening to teenagers for a greater purpose than selling a soda. The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls- and those prophets are teenagers.