Have you seen the latest wave of advertisements in support of Obamacare? Pictures of the Affordable Care Act’s latest advertising campaign have been blowing up my Facebook page. My friends—the young adults targeted by these ads—are offended by their depiction of my generation.
First there were the Colorado “Got Insurance” ads by ProgressNow Colorado Education and the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative suggesting that young adults’ top reasons for needing health insurance are sexual promiscuity and binge drinking. These ads have been dubbed “Ho-Surance” and “Bro-surance.” Now the Pajama Boy ad by Organizing for Action has gone viral. You just can’t make this stuff up.
As a recent college grad, I remember students celebrating on my campus when Obamacare was upheld in the Supreme Court. My peers rallied around the idea of affordable health care for people who didn’t have the means to provide it for themselves or their families and for those who were turned away by healthcare companies because of a pre-existing condition. The problem was most of them were ignorant of the negative consequences of the law such as higher premiums and deductibles. More people have lost health insurance because of the law than have gained it.
There is no denying that my generation longs for social justice. We use social media to raise awareness of injustice. We buy products that are “free-trade” and “sustainable” and “ethical.” We have seen a new wave of tolerance and acceptance for minority, homosexual, and impoverished communities. Feeling that we had nowhere else to turn to help us on our mission to social justice, my generation turned to the government. Our trust was misplaced.
As offensive and misguided as these insurance ads are, I hope that they will help young adults realize that Obamacare is not the answer social justice and empowerment. We will prove that we are not as feckless and ignorant as these Obamacare ads depict us.