Swollen Expectations Analysis

Having more was no longer associated with the expansion of unexplored lands, but with the idea of consumerism; whereby having more was now associated with happiness. As a result, people constantly engaged themselves in impulse buying (Shames 94). Consumerism has made Americans overlook quality and decency and as Shames argues, “Americans have been somewhat backward in adopting values, hopes, ambitions that have to do with other things other than more” (92). The mentality of Americans was to strive for bigger and

Since the onset of consumerism, the major growth of consumption has caused society to improve their daily life. With new innovations such as washing machines, dishwashers, automobiles, and cell phones society is able to eliminate hard work and progress forward. The inventions and innovations created have enhanced the quality of many lives. The everyday labor around the house is reduced, we can talk to anyone from around the world at any time, and look up any kind of information without having to read a book. However many of these time saving and efficient innovations are purchased by people who have no need for these devices and purchased them un- necessarily as luxury items. There have been many essays written about the positive and negative

With social media playing a huge role in society, us Americans are becoming more materialistic. We are being influenced by people who give us these unrealistic expectations in life and always making us want more in life than what we have. We try living up to these expectations by buying elaborate accessories, when in reality they serve no purpose to us, making us feel empty on the inside.  Like Steinbeck said, “We trample friends, relatives and strangers who get in the way of our achieving it; and once we get it we shower in on psychoanalysts to try to find out why we are unhappy” (Steinbeck). Despite all of this, us Americans still claim to be realistic, yet we pay $800 for a phone just so we can be like everyone else. We buy name brand clothes that are overpriced. We pay $7 for a cup of coffee. The list goes on and on. The American Dream Steinbeck relates to is not something someone can buy, rather is it something you earn. As Steinbeck said, the American Dream is “yearnings toward what we wish were and hope we may be: wise, just, compassionate, and noble. The fact that we have this dream at all is perhaps an indication of its

In “Swollen Expectations”, the authors describe their theory that the population of the United States has become more and more greedy since the simpler times of the late 1950’s. They claim that houses, vehicles, and even food have been victims of our “virus”. While agreeing that our expectations have been swollen, especially when compared to life in the late 1950’s, we think we “need” more things, but we really only want the convenience.

Cars are something that almost every person has or will use in their everyday life or need to use their car to get to and from work or school everyday. Well in this paper you will learn about what technology has done to change the Automotive Industry as well as your everyday life. This paper will be focusing on the Technologies inside of the car, along with the Technologies that keep you safe and also a little bit about Self-Driving Cars. So fasten your seatbelts while you are reading this paper.

In today's society, having the biggest and best products is valued above everything else. From new technology, to homes, and even automobiles -nothing is off limits to our ever-growing expectations. This growing trend of owning bigger and better things without being satisfied is more apparent in today’s society than ever before, and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. The need to have the newest products is“stuffing us up” and creates a problem for future generations. The article “Swollen Expectations”, written by John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor, provides some interesting insight into the standard of living in past generations. I also conducted an interview with my father, asking him a series of questions about life when he was younger, material possessions, and how he has seen it all evolve throughout the years.

The Business Dictionary defines consumerism as the “continual expansion of one’s wants and needs for goods services” (2016). Despite consumerisms current negative connotation, according to Dictionary.com the term itself originated in the early 1940s with a more positive economic connotation on the basis that consumerism inspired growth (2016). This concept of continual desire for the “latest and greatest” first became popular in the 1920s. Americans were tired of the strict rationing of World War I and were ready to begin spending money again. As production rose in efficiency and capacity, thanks to improvements made during the war, there was plenty to be sold. “By the 1920s, America was a society in which many men and women could afford not merely the means of subsistence, but a considerable measure of additional, discretionary goods and services; a society in which people could buy items not just because of need but for pleasure as well” (Brinkley, 641). But, what affect did this have on the American population? How did this insatiable appetite for goods shift American ideals and values? Consumerism in the 1920s was viewed as a means to finding happiness, love, and companionship in life. Yet, history, media representation of time, and critical analyses repeatedly demonstrate that consumerism was an ineffective and troublesome means to satisfaction.

In fact, Americans are the most wasteful type of people– they buy unrecyclable bags and items, drive as much as the rest of the people in the world combined, and consume enough food to feed an extra 80 million in another part of the globe. Honestly speaking, the ones to blame aren’t them, but the selfish corporate companies who pump out tantalizing advertisements to sell their superfluous products. The words ‘new and improved’ are plastered onto ads, in bright bold letters, and have people burning holes in their wallets scrambling to buy them. Simply put, it’s an addiction. Once a better model with a slight modification is released, the old one is considered outdated and unwanted; the owners dumping them into the landfill once they’ve gotten the new model. Quindlen brings up the concept Veblen wrote about in his piece “The Theory Of The Leisure Class”, mentioning that “the buying habits of most Americans owed little to need and much to wanting . . . “ Which is evidently true; the amount of Americans who buy video game consoles to play nonstop for a week and then allow it to collect dust for the next 5 years are countless. Which brings up the concept called “keeping up with the Joneses”, reiterating the fact that companies create such manipulative advertisements to keep you wanting what you can’t have. The phrase

The American culture is rapidly progressing to become a technologically dependent place, and it is causing the

People should always have the best of the best regardless of our financial status, correct? With this in mind. Consequently, North Americans are too materialistic. Many people in North America feel the need to have a nice, expensive car to commute every day. When in fact, many people put themselves in difficult financial situations in order to make payments for a luxury vehicle, when they could have purchased a car that is more affordable for their budget. Besides having a nice car, North Americans will discard of perfectly functioning items to have a reason to purchase the newest model. Specifically, in this day and age, cellphones are the most important thing to have. Every year a new model of a cellphone

While many people find happiness without many resources, many Americans see objects as a life necessity. According to Anna Quindlen in her OP-ED “Stuff is not Salvation”, Society has started to gear more and more into spending money on something the saw on the TV add rather, than saving for times of trouble. Americans have become so materialistic that a few hours after celebrating Thanksgiving, a holiday about giving thanks for what you have, they go and trample each other at malls over items on sale. Due to this desire of society to own every new gadget, many Americans are creating unnecessary debt for themselves, all of this for useless resources which we don’t even appreciate.

As stated in his article “Why the Gasoline Engine Isn’t Going Away Any Time Soon,” Joseph B. White believes that “an automotive revolution is coming -- but it’s traveling in the slow lane” (White 260). He goes on to state throughout his article that today’s reality is one that prevents this “revolution” from taking place in the way that Americans all hope for. He sites the current inability to design an engine that would run on an energy source other than gasoline or diesel but still have the same power that traditional engines have, as well as the cost of gasoline versus the cost of electricity, as some of the sources of our woes. Some companies do not want to move away from their old factories and workers whose union agreements make dismissing

Similarly government regulations in the United States and Europe are tightening up, consequently requiring cars to be cleaner and more fuel efficient. As a result, the collaboration with BMW is paramount to getting the most fuel efficient vehicles to the market in a timely manner so that GM can harvest a substantial profit. (3) In addition General Motors is working on the next generation of fuel efficient and gasoline free vehicles to help reduce the impact of the vehicle on the environment, while preserving personal mobility, which further indicates its commitment to innovation. (6)

I believe that over the years people have invested in building newer, nicer cars. For example, the dodge ram truck has advanced in the ignition to make it more faster and easier to drive. They have made it to recognize motions around the vehicle to see if anyone around or any other car so it doesn't crash into them.

Thesis statement: Technology in cars have evolved so much during the last years that we can’t figure out which one to thank when it saves our lives, or when it makes our lives easier. Which is why I’ll talk about as much as I can during the time I am given