Consumerism In The 1920s Essay

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 British colonies developed rapidly during the eighteenth-century due to the consumer revolution along with the optimism and hard work of the colonists. The consumer revolution allowed the colonists to represent themselves in a new way through goods and most importantly, grow economically. With hard work and optimism, the colonists not only survived, but they managed to keep up with the growing market and supply the demands needed for their colonies to grow.

Through the Cold War, America was transitioning in various ways such as the way messages were shared, consumerism, and the constant race against the Soviet Union. During the years 1959-1964, Rod Serling, a New York writer and playwright began using one of the newest inventions, the television, as a way to share his opinion about controversial topics. The rise of the television allowed Serling to access to a larger audience whom he could share his opinion in the form of science fictional episodes in the show The Twilight Zone. Although the show seems ominous and a horror related TV show, it allows us to understand the effects and feeling towards topics such as a possible nuclear war, consumerism, space exploration.

During the 1920s, America’s economy was terrible. The culture of the 1920s played a big role in causing the stock market crash of 1929. According to the The Roaring Twenties Bubble & Stock Market Crash article, it states “The 1920s marked a decade of increasing conveniences that were made available to the middle class. By and large Americans as a whole were weary of war and looking for a way to put the horrors of the last few years behind them. New products made chores around the home easier and resulted in increased leisure time”. This means the once expensive items were now affordable for middle class because of Americans buying things on credit. This method is described as buy now and pay later. But soon, more Americans used this paying

When Korean veterans returned from the fighting, everyone was overjoyed to be reunited with their loved ones after two huge, deadly wars.

During the 1920s, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, the radio, and the automobile, were only some of the products popular amongst consumers, as the new electric gadgets cut “the time spent on housework in half” (Lange). Now being able to finish their work more quickly than ever before and having some leisure time, the gadgets quickly became “must-haves” and people began to purchase items “on credit”, which meant buying them now, and paying later. By 1929, 15% of all items were bought using credit (Lange). The “easy way to buy” was greatly supported by advertisers, and they promoted the “buying on credit” method through various means such as the radio. Therefore, the multitude of new electronic goods as well as the means of “buying on credit” largely led to the economic prosperity of the 1920s since consumers were intrigued to buy the new products, impressed by their abilities, such as cutting the time of various tasks in

The 1920’s should be considered a time of prosperity in American history. America was introduced to new a modern identity. There was many cultural norms in the 1920’s. The decade also saw an economic boom, through new modern industries and the automotive age. The government went back to a hands off, “Laissez-Faire”, government. The government and politics were going for the return to normalcy type of outlook.

Loeper 1 Alex Loeper Ms. Dargan 3rd Period 1/20/16 During the period of America in the 1920s, America had economic growth with total wealth more than doubling. The era of the 1920s brought on a period of many changes in economic and social aspects. The era the 1920s of the United States of America was more Roaring than a bust because of the birth of the new culture and economic growth. These affected and made America a better country during the 1920s and today.

The biggest change during the twenties was the social scene. In the 1920's there was a huge boom in consumer products. Due to consumerism, patterns of consumption and leisure made the 20's a distinctive decade. One of the biggest pushes for materialistic desires was advertising and the popularity of movies. Whether rich or poor, Americans began purchasing goods for pleasure as well as for need. Americans bought appliances, mass-produced automobiles, cosmetics, and fashions. What brought this huge boom in consumption was the introduction of installment buying. Installment buying was often utilized in the purchase of automobiles. Soon this "buy now, pay later" concept applied to buying radios, sewing machines, and refrigerators.

The 1920s was a time of dramatic change that swept quickly over the nation. This was a decade in which there was extreme economic growth along with a rise in consumer spending and a scared political atmosphere. During 1919 there was a drastic shift in fear from Germany to a fear of Communism which culminated in the Red Scare of 1919. This was a continuation of Woodrow Wilsons wartime campaign against anti-American movements, most frequently anarchists and communists. During World War I congress passed two sets of legislation that supported this: The Espionage Act and the Sedition act. The Espionage Act of 1917 was aimed at promoting patriotism and stopping people from speaking out against the U.S. involvement, while The Sedition Act amended the Espionage to more broadly cover speech, restricting Freedom of Speech. These laws were frequently used to imprison members of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), most notably Eugene V. Debbs. Another source of the Red Scare was the Russian Revolution, which transformed Russia into a communist state. The revolution scared Americans into believing one would happen in the U.S. These events start the 20s off at a bad time economically with high unemployment, socially with an anti-immigration stance and politically with the persecution of Anti-American opinions.

Their belief that the purchase of all these wonderful new items, which they could not afford, would improve their lives resulted in a massive increase in sales. The introduction of easily accessible consumer credit and installment plans enabled these purchases and resulted in a significant increase in consumer debt, along with an equally significant decrease in consumer savings. In reality, the people were buying goods they could not afford with money that was not theirs to spend. An example of American consumerism in the 1920s was the purchase of cars. During this period over 60% of Americans purchased their cars on

In the late 19th century, Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” to describe American cultural life. While American business was flourishing and the nation appeared to a success, this shiny surface hid a nation filled with corruption and crime. Despite an appearance of elegance, the country was vulgar (Mintz). One consequence of the increase in consumer culture was the rise of the advertising industry. Through advertisement, appearances are manipulated and impressions are faked.

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

As a country, Americans love to shop. Whether in malls, grocery stores, on the Internet, or elsewhere, the culture of buying is deeply ingrained in American culture. Fueled largely by advertising and the current credit system, America’s consumer culture is depleting our planet’s finite natural resources and polluting our environment. Consumerism has instilled in Americans an artificial, ongoing, and insatiable desire for mass-produced and marketed products, and the money with which to buy them, with little regard to their actual usefulness or necessity. This constant desire to acquire more possessions is poisoning the planet, as it can never be sated and thus results in the never-ending exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources, and

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.