Do Objects Make Us

Do Objects Make Us? Many people in today's society are distressed greatly with ones rank in the social hierarchy; material possessions of all sorts seem to construct, shape, and style the lives of consumers all over the world. Consumers all over the world are becoming more and more demanding as more and more is being advertised. Many companies, such as Apple, often advertise months in advance for products creating commotion, attentiveness, and desire among the world. Stores, such as Old Navy, inspire consumers to shop at stores like theirs to feel pleased and satisfied with how much can be bought with such small amounts of money; when in reality, the consumers are spending money on their identity. In “On sale at Old Navy: Cool clothes for identical zombies!”, Damien Cave uncovers the fact that retailers all over the world, especially in such establishments as Old Navy and Ikea, have began to take up the lives of consumers in today's society and have created a great deal of trickery for making consumers believe they need more than they actually do. Naomi Klein states that consumers are being scammed. Many consumers are being judged by what they buy and where they buy it. Many people, such as Thomas Frank feel that stores such as Old Navy create almost a “mass cloning masked in a carnival of diversity” (Cave). That analysis may seem true but consumers should take into account that they are letting objects define who they are leading to a materialistic lifestyle. Nowadays, people, especially teens, are very concerned with appearance, prestige, and social position. Malls all over the world are jam packed with a great quantity of stores with the same goal as stores like Old Navy and Ikea. Stores such as Old Navy and Gap often pressure and persuade teens to feel the need to purchase “the next big thing” in order for them to be viewed as “cool” by the rest of the society. Teens in today's

society will pay extra for clothes at one specific store to create a

Cited: Cave, Damien. “On sale at Old Navy: Cool clothes for identical zombies!” Salon.com. Salon Media Group, 22 Nov. 2000. Web 7 June 2010. Walker, Rob. “iPad Envy” New York Times. New York Times, 5 April 2010. Web 30 June 2010.