Youth and Mall Culture

The socioeconomic significance of malls is seen through visual culture, where the mall has become a place to meet up with friends and family, on any day of the week – weekends being the busiest. Hence “the mall has become a centre of life, where the most memorable moments, holidays and birthdays are spent, dinners are held all under one roof” (Stokrocki 80). In Toronto the two largest malls I explored were the Toronto Eaton’s Centre and Yorkdale Mall – both of which included over 200 stores, eateries, rainforest cafés, and a movie theatre. However what was evident about these two malls apart from the rest included anti social behaviours despite families being grouped together. Although people were together, the sense of togetherness was plastic just like the manikins of store displays. It appeared as though families were shopping just as an excuse to go out as a “family” even though children, teens and adults would disperse into the stores of their choice and meet up at the end for a takeout meal, contacting each other through their phones. In addition to this observation included the fact that families shopping with other families or family friends were more of an exploitation of social and economic class. People being able to spend at stores like Michael Kors, Coach, Tory Burch, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lululemon, Kate Spade and many more, without worrying about going over budget meant being affluent. What really needs to be questioned is the idea that if these people spend at

Human needs in the past have been satisfied by marketplaces that are community driven. It is then he claims, that the lack of communal intention that makes the Mall of America, and other malls unhealthy and unnatural. Guterson writes that malls void of community, are not marketplaces, but are rather attractions set on profit. The marketing behind the Mall of America is aimed at growing tourism, and making the mall a symbol of America and American culture. This gimmick has proved to be successful as over 700,000 people from foreign countries visit the mall every year (Guterson, 284). The attention the mall is receiving from the rest of the globe suggests that as Guterson writes, “The concept of shopping in a frivolous atmosphere, concocted to loosen consumers’ wallets, is poised to proliferate globally” (Guterson, 284). As American malls continue to be lucrative, the science of controlling shoppers will only become more present around the world. Guterson claims that the fantasy environments that malls create are so powerful that they can inspire addiction to the excitability and pleasures that malls create (Guterson, 284). Guterson warns against the future of megamalls, pointing out the emptiness that they can create inside us. After standing on the roof of the Mall of America, Guterson understands that American culture is not the modern American mall. Rather, it is the fields and farms that

In “Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured: The Mall of America,” David Guterson’s description concerning the Mall of America researches into numerous surfaces that are entrenched throughout the mall both physically and psychologically. David Guterson claims that the Mall is a psychological impact on the applicants inside. He makes this claim through his portrayals of the shopping mall’s: exterior and interior environment, the people he interviews, and the malls many titles.

William Kowinski has written the article “Kids in the mall: Growing up controlled”, to highlight the ignorance of parents that exposes children to artificial environment of shopping malls. Kowinski argues that this exposure converts children into “pre-programmed consumers” and leads them to a premature adulthood, which affects their emotional development. To prove his argument, the writer relies upon several studies which reveal the importance of the role parents play in nurturing their children with “warmth” and “old-fashioned mothering”.

From its vast security systems, to the indoor theme park, and over 520 stores the mall is like a city within itself; closed off from the rest of the world. Guterson writes that the quality and impressiveness of the mall is not comparable to any other. The mall is “the best of the best” and people visit it because of its modernism. The modernism of the mall is displayed through features like an arcade, the gardens, trees and flowers. The argument of the essay is reasonable in the way people go to spend in the mall. It is true that people are sometimes

All the more poignant, in fact, because the first US malls were not meant to have been sited miles from anywhere and reached only by big, air-conditioned automobiles with automatic transmission and power-everything. No, Viktor Grun, the ‘father of the shopping mall’ meant them to be the core around which new

Pointing and sprinting from store to store, bags in hand and wallet held tight. The sounds of screaming, laughing, and talking fill the space. Cash registers beaming and cards being swiped. There’s just no other place like this; a shopping mall. Today, buying clothes or items of interest is highly popular. All of one’s favorite stores feet away from each other, this ritual is composed of elements that might not seem very evident without looking close enough. At the International Plaza in beautiful Tampa Florida, I conducted observations and my own experiences as well to analysis this ritual as a cultural phenomenon. Through this research, we can understand the true meaning of a shopping mall.

As we enter a new generation, shoppers are gearing toward online and mobile shopping, which contributes to the extinction of shopping malls. America reached a time period where the number of adults who were born in a time where online shopping was not thought of are retiring; resulting in old habits, such as shopping in malls, coming to a cease. The older generation of adults tend to revert back to familiar habits such as shopping at malls or going to a bookstore. The new generation of adults/teenagers do not use shopping malls as a hangout spot in contrast to older generation, thus leading to the decline of shopping malls. Other than shopping, shopping malls were once used for socializing. However, with the increase of social networks

A distinguished structure that is present in today’s retail environment is a shopping centre. A shopping centre is where multiple stores presenting different merchandisers are formed under a building and allocated through a leasing agency. Shopping centers are aimed towards middle income suburban residents who are mobile. A shopping centre has controlled walkways which enable consumers to walk from store to store. Plenty of effort is put into developing the design of a shopping centre, thus increasing the amount of time people spend shopping. The

In “Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured: The Mall of America” David Gueterson spoke about the idea behind the creation of the Mall and his journey as a reporter inside it. For instance, he talked about how the mall not only intended to attract Minnesotan, but also to appeal to tourist from everywhere. Because of it enormous size and diverse activities, the mall is like the mecca of shoppers. He also mentioned that, Some people got engaged and some even got their marriage ceremony at the mall. After all he described the mall as a success, and the companies behind the mall are even thinking about building similar malls around the world. (161-72). Such marketing strategies stated above are embodied in many businesses today, with the intention not only to bring people in, but also to make them spend money and come back again.

According to Norton the malls, as well as catalogs and home shopping, are networks that helps to define one’s identity while enhancing social interaction and class distinction. Norton believes that due to shopping women can exert authority, which often it cannot be expressed in the domestic environment. It is an occasion to spend enjoyable time with friends out of sight, but even more by the judgment of husbands. In other words, shopping at the mall the women subvert the roles, which sees them somehow subjected to the desires or opinions of their husbands. Also, Norton describes malls as showcases used by companies to “sell you they want by telling you who you are.”

Throughout the last decade, malls have consciously begun the trend of failing. Mark Dery’s Dawn of the Dead Mall was written in hopes of persuading change in the environment f malls. By making changes, malls will hopefully begin to thrive once again. Malls, to most, are the best places in America. They “have provided an architecture of elegance and pleasure” (Dery, 2012, p. 3). Creating new malls with an aesthetic appeal, yet still containing the architect many love, would improve the amount of dead malls compared to thriving malls. Dery includes the opinions and ideas of others to further validate his thesis.

Underhill shares his observations and findings in the book by dividing it into three main sections. The first one discusses the “mechanics of shopping” – how shoppers react to the stores’ layout, products, store displays and signs, and even other people in the store. The second section focuses on “demographics of shopping” - how each demographic differs in its preferences and approach to the retail environment. The third and final section delves into the “dynamics

Although teenagers love shopping, mostly they haven’t had awareness to save money. Teenagers are just given authority to use their money (allowance). Thus, they tend to spend their money on consumption. If they save their money, in a bank for example, it is aimed more to save money so that they are able to buy certain product that will be bought in the future. So, their disposable income is spendable income. For them, saving money is parent’s business. No wonder if saving account products for teenagers in Indonesia is not a big and attractive market (only 22 percent teenagers in big cities have saving account in bank).

Here is a typical scene from one such mall in Hyderabad. It has a 4-movie multiplex theatre, surrounded by 40-odd fast food kiosks and 20-odd shops that sell clothing, perfumes and jewellery, music and video CDs and DVDs. Not one of them sells traditional Indian meals or snacks. And the mall, like 20 others in the city, is filled with thousands of youngsters who obviously have enough to spend. We did not have such scenes in India twenty years ago, but this mall and fast food culture is expanding explosively across India. This too is part of the globalization of India, a part that causes great concern about the health of its citizens.