Does a prohibition truly benefit its cause?

 The psychological phenomenon of the do not press red button has always intrigued me. If the button were to just be there and exist, no one would pay attention to it. The second that the “do not press button” text is placed onto it, the thoughts that flow into your mind drastically increase. What would happen if I pressed the button? No, I shouldn’t press the button. But i realllllly want to know what happens if I push the button. Are all the thoughts that your brain is filled with, when placed in this scenario. The more your brain tries to suppress the thought of pushing it, the more you think about it and the more appealing it becomes. This is a famous phenomenon known as the Ironic Process Theory.


When I was growing up whenever my parents went out somewhere they would tell me to not play on my Nintendo switch. This felt like a big DO NOT PRESS sign placed right on top of my Nintendo switch. The second they ended up leaving, that switch in the corner of my room would always be in the back of my mind. What eventually happened was that I would sneak over, play on my switch, and eventually tell my parents that I did NOT play on it while they were gone. Which brings up the point of if a prohibition is even a good thing? It so often leads to further lies and acts done to get past it which may be worse than the act itself.


I saw this perfect example through the Great Gatsby when the idea of prohibition was very prevalent. Even though alcohol was banned at the time with the prohibition movement, at Gatsby’s party it was there and people were very drunk. Like the guy who drove his car into a ditch. Now where did Gatsby even acquire all this alcohol in that time? 

During this time period to get alcohol many powerful illegal black markets were formed which empowered criminal organizations across the nation. So rather than people drinking alcohol, the nation had greater rates of crime and corruption which in no way was seen as better than alcohol being legal. 


On paper, the prohibition movement may have looked successful to the government with its initial dropped alcohol consumption rates, but in the long run those rates spiked back to as high as before or even higher. Along with the prosperity of illegal organizations. 


So is a prohibition truly useful?





Comments

  1. Aditya SheelvanthOctober 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM

    I like how you connected the “do not press the button” idea to both personal experiences and The Great Gatsby—it makes the blog really relatable and smart. The way you explained how prohibitions can backfire was super clear and thought-provoking. It really makes me think about how human curiosity and restriction are always connected.

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  2. Katherine ParkOctober 5, 2025 at 2:53 PM

    Hi Advik, I appreciate your own experience with the "do not press button". It was very relatable and a good way to connect with events that were happening during that time. I also find it interesting that you questioned the effectiveness of prohibition, in a way forming an opinion on rules in general.

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  3. Sanskriti MathurOctober 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM

    I really like how unique your topic is, ive never really thought about it like this. It makes the psychological concept feel so real and easy to relate to. The Nintendo Switch anecdote was funny but also really effective in showing how prohibition can backfire. Your final question tied it all together perfectly and left me thinking about how often “forbidden” things just become more tempting.

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