Cause Of Consumerism In America

The economy is a very fragile thing; however it can have an enormous impact on people. Americans especially are affected because they are so greedy, they always want more. Because Americans are very materialistic, they can become overly arrogant and possessive since they are used to getting their way, on account of having money.

The rapper Kanye West stated “She don`t believe in shooting stars but she believes in shoes and cars.” Malls, Outlets and online resources are the most common sources for shopping experiences for many people today. There are also the many food outlets and sales that encourage people to purchase items that may or may not be necessary. In her essay, “American Consumerism,” Jamie Bentley reflecting on Simon Benlow’s essay “An Apology to Future Generations” that expresses concern about consumers’ negative impact on the environment reveals this generation’s obsession with materialism, with the hope that people will learn to do more with less. The many options available to purchase items create a problem for individuals who desire to have what they

Wilks 1 Stephanie Wilks His 1050 Sec 201 April 10, 2010 Roland Marchand and Kelly Schrum: Critical Analysis of Consumerism Post WW II American was a place full of optimism and fear. The American people had survived 20 years of depression and war to find new prosperity and an increase in mass production of goods and services that improved quality of life. This meant better times for Americans, but fears over the Cold War, threat of an evermore intrusive American government and loss of individualism existed as well. These high expectations and anxieties played a great deal into how people consumed. Eventually these factors combined with aggressive advertising marketing, with the help of media (mainly TV), led to the emergence of a whole new

Recently I heard a story about a mother and child walking through a retail store when the child says to her mother “I want those shoes!” The mother asks “Why do you want those shoes?” to which her daughter responds “Because everyone else is wearing them.” The Mother asks, “Wouldn’t you want to get something different and be more original?” and the child says “No, then I wouldn’t be original like everyone else!” Between the 1920’s and the era of World War II America saw some of its most dramatic cultural shifts since the country’s beginnings. This story of a mother and child expresses the changes that took place in the early half of the 1900’s which made a lasting effect in creating the consumer society we know today. This consumer-centered society that we know was developed by multiple shifts in the American economy and lifestyle. In this essay I will discuss how each the “Roaring Twenties,” the “Great Depression” and the World War II Era each contributed in the way of accelerating or stalling the process of creating an American consumer society.

There is an undoubtedly enormous influence on the world by consumerism. Consumerism and capitalism shape the nation that we live in today. Everyone knows this because they see advertisements all day long on television, on the radio, on billboards and through hundreds of other mediums. Unfortunately, what the world is not exposed to is what goes on behind the marketing and the ultimate final sale. There is a dark side to capitalism created not only by shady merchants, but the worldwide multi-national companies as well. What both of these excerpts portray is the idea that there is more to the products we buy than we are told, or unfortunately, that we bother to ask about. Through the use of interviewing, traveling, and criticism, these

For generations, Americans has been brainwashed by the media to believe that what is displayed on television is the ideal perception of what real beauty have manipulated American citizens of what style looks like. Furthermore, with their many brainwashing strategies, that means more and more consumers spending beyond their budget. Our perspectives have been heavily influenced by what they believe is nice, but can we afford it all? With unrealistic combination of goods in store, plazas, and mall, consuming has become a bad behavior of some. In support of my argument of the “Overspending”, author Gladwell’s article “The Science of Shopping” also argues that stores adjust to fit the needs and wants of the shopper are evidently presented. With that being said, we have no idea when we are being manipulated into unrealistic shopping behavior that is influenced by the way the advertisement is presented in visual sight. Author Gladwell gets a “retail anthropologist” and “urban geographer” named Paco Underhill to give breakdown points of how he helps brand name stores influence consumers into persuasion of buying more. However, most of us fall short of that discipline, while being persuaded to overspend during our store visits.

As we are constantly exposed to mass media and popular culture in our modern society, the insidious nature of consumerism has allowed it to penetrate into every aspect of our lives, dictating our very beliefs, values and wants. Nearly every individual in our society subconsciously conforms to the shallow and superficial mindset that characterises our consumerist culture. This idea is highlighted by the following texts; the poem “Enter without so much as knocking” by Bruce Dawe, an extract from the sermon “The Religion of Consumerism” delivered by Peter House, the poem “Breakthrough” by Bruce Dawe, and the

Transactions at a local corner store, the purchase of a fresh cup of coffee in the morning, and the credit card debt accumulated through the buying of miscellaneous objects on the internet, are just a few contributors to the most powerful “ism” that powers America. From the 1920s to the present day America has been driven by consumerism. Consumerism- in its simplest form- is defined as the buying and selling of products. When tracing the evolution of consumerism in America, one must explore many factors that led up to today’s consumerist culture; the economic ups and downs of the 1920s through the 1950s, the anti-consumerist movement in the 1960s, and people’s obsession with material items in modern society.

Consumerism is our religion. Consumer ideology influences almost every aspect of life, especially in the United States. You can commodify just about anything. As a result, our consumption patterns dictate how we identify ourselves in society, be it what kind of car we drive, our square footage, or even what we eat. Consumerism has its roots in the industrial revolution but present-day globalized, postmodern consumerism owes its momentum to a vastly prosperous post World War economic climate. With the advent of consumer lines of credit, owning a car was now a reality for a significant portion of the American population. By the mid 1950’s, the rise of the automobile was in full swing and with the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 gave birth to

To put it simply, society is telling us that the more we spend the happier we’ll be. These materialistic products have become something that we have come to value. We have been conditioned by advertisers to view wealth in this format. This was proven in the first advertisement, which encourages consumers to purchase cigarettes although they are aware of its hazardous impact on one’s health. Even the apparel seen in the Macy’s advertisement entices consumers to dress a certain way to fit into their recreation of the American dream. Advertisers have specialized in taking advantage of Americans with the aim of selling their merchandise regardless of the methods they use, whether morally right or wrong. Therefore, it leads to disastrous results such as health problems and body image issues for consumers because of the advert significance it delivers. We need to break every chain that consumerism has established in our society, but where can we start when we don’t even realize the depth of its grip on us. Unfortunately they are people who have been targeted by agencies to make a profit out of their hopes and dreams, a marketing strategy

This article gave a lot of alarming statistics about America’s consumerism and waste deposit. One of the most surprising statistics to me, was that America uses 1/3 of the worlds paper, while containing only 5% of the world’s population. I think I found this one of the most surprising statistics because I feel as though I don’t use a lot of paper myself. One statistic that I didn’t find surprising, but still found upsetting, was that only 7% of America’s population use public transportation as a daily option. Maybe I found this upsetting because I know I am completely guilty of being in the 93% that don’t use public transport daily. I drive myself where I need to go, even though I am aware of the consequences towards the environment. Overall,

Consumerism is the center of American culture. Americans tend to confuse their wants with their needs. With new advances in technology, as well as the help of advertisers, people are provided with easy access to new products that seem essential to their everyday life, even though they have survived this long without them. People cannot live without food, clothing, and shelter. But realistically, according to people's different lifestyles, more than food, clothing, and shelter are needed. Most people need to work to survive. Unless a job is either in their own home, or within walking distance, a means of transportation is needed. Whether it be a vehicle, money for a taxi-cab, or a token for a ride on the subway, money must be spent

The concept of free-market played an essential role in making American people in the 1960s believe that it is important for them to fight communism through any means possible. Consumerism had reached a point where it had become indispensable and the benefits that it brought along made it difficult and virtually impossible for the community to express interest in economic systems other than capitalism. One of the principal reasons why the Cold War occurred relates to the West's obsession with materialism and with the fact that this precious concept could be destroyed as a result of communist ideas pervading the Western society.

In today’s society, it is becoming increasingly impossible for one to be watching television, reading a magazine, or watching a sporting event without being flooded with the images of commercialism. Messages in our televisions and print sources that encourages us to buy are created by people who uses their talent to speak to both our conscious and subconscious desires. The products that we buy, the food that we consume, the clothes and shoes that we wear, and our everyday lives are influenced by commercialism. Proponents for commercialism can argue that commercialism as essential in the enhancement of capitalism and free market economy. It can also lead to innovation competition of companies in meeting the needs of consumers. However, Commercialism can lead to an increase in wasteful consumption or consumerism. It can also lead to the depletion of natural resources in trying to meet the consumption needs of the people.

The growth of consumerism began in the early 1800’s with the birth of the industrial revolution. Because of the revolution companies were able to rapidly and efficiently produce products for a low cost which made them accessible to a larger demographic. This unrestricted access to products sent America into an era of mass production and consumption and with the growth in production came competition between companies. Commodities such as razors, soaps, and condoms became targeted towards certain people and started a branding race for all personal products. The marketing and advertisement of personal products has greatly impacted the advancement of America’s capitalist society.