Preview

American Consumer Culture

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
496 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
American Consumer Culture
I believe that consumer culture has had a negative effect on society. I believe this for many reasons, one of them being that Americans are, in a way, brainwashed into believing that we "need" something, or they have to look a certain way to fit in. advertising companies don't just target adults, they also purposely target young children. They do this because they know that children's brains are not fully developed and are very easily tricked into thinking that they need a certain toy or game to be cool and have friends.
The main idea that Americans are brainwashed into thinking is, "you have needs and you won't be fulfilled until you buy the right product to fill those needs." There are many problems with this message. One of them is that
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    American Culture: Individualism
    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages

    American Culture: Individualism

    When most people think about the “American culture,” images of Coca-Cola, hot dogs, baseball games, big cars and suburban mansions come to mind. But there is a deeper side to American culture than Hollywood and Disney World. Underneath the layers of TV advertising and hyper-consumerism, there is a cultural DNA that makes America what it is. Here is a brief look at several cultural “genes” that influence the way Americans think and act.…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Consumerism In America
    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Consumerism In America

    We have different morals and values and just a different way of living life. On average, most Americans spend three to four times more hours shopping than our European counterparts. This is important because it shows how much more we consume and how much more we value consuming than everyone else. This also proves that we could definitely make a difference if we consumed less. Another fact is that the average house size in America has doubled since the 1970’s. This shows that although people once lived fine with less space, Americans now want larger homes with more space to put all the stuff they…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Defining Popular American Culture
    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Defining Popular American Culture

    The study of culture is very important to our society, as we have been studying our past and identities for as long as we can recall. Studying our cultures allows us to understand each other as a people, so we can comprehend what we have done, and possibly, what we may do. As we study American popular culture, we see something that began as almost nothing, to a group of patterns that has captured the minds of not only the American people themselves, but the whole world, as well.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    AMERICAN Consumerism
    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages

    AMERICAN Consumerism

    “American Consumerism is not only causing more debts, but it is also causing a sharp decrease in saving”. Due to the desire to get more materials things, the amount of money allocated for saving or in saving to be use in the near future will be diverted towards the purchase of latest and newest fashion design clothes, cars, best food etc. Most people today are not concern about the future or what tomorrow will look like in term of survival, but tend to prove some level of supremacy over others by showing off or bluffing, by consuming materials that cost more money showing to others that they are financially equipped. As such, the amount of money need to be saved will be used up. Jamie Bentley wrote “In 1973, the average amount of disposable income put into saving was 8.6%, in 1994 it was 4.2% by November 2005, it was negative 0.2%.”…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Difference In American Consumer Culture
    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page

    Difference In American Consumer Culture

    United States is a consumer culture. A substantial part of consumer culture is the importance on lifestyle and using material goods to achieve happiness and satisfaction. A large part of the American economy is depend on selling consumer goods and spending of consumer money. Advertising becomes an important force in American business and its impact on American culture is excellent.…

    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Fight Club: Commentary On Consumer Culture
    • 99 Words
    • 1 Page

    Fight Club: Commentary On Consumer Culture

    Not a day goes by in which the American does not experience some form of advertisement. From the logo on a t-shirt to the specific pattern on a handbag, advertisements are everywhere. Companies sell their products by using human beings as billboards. Our society is completely monopolized by a culture of consumerism and an obsession with commodities. Fight Club (1999), directed by David Fincher, embodies our society’s infatuation with material items and the seductive hold that they have over our lives. Fight Club successfully acts as a commentary on consumer culture through the creative and profound use of…

    • 99 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Marketing American Culture
    • 1188 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Marketing American Culture

    The average adult in the United States will look at the mirror and think that they have their life in control and do not feel the need to do anything about it. The average depressed adult may look and see a sad reflection, and upon seeing this they will seek out help, be it a doctor or a close friend. This is just an example of what the average American would do if they were sad, because in different cultures, people see depression differently because of various definitions of the condition itself. Depression in the United States is becoming as common as the cold, but only because that’s the way depression treatment is marketed. Marketing itself means the methods by which products are advertised and sold, and it is not restricted for just consumer use. In Jean Twenge’s essay “An Army of One: Me”, Twenge explores the increase in self-esteem and narcissism across the country, and also mentions the use of a new self-esteem education as a marketing technique for feeling good. In addition, Ethan Watters’s essay “The Mega-Marketing of Depression in Japan” discusses the pharmaceutical industry’s marketing strategies by better understanding how the Japanese perceive depression and adjusting their advertisements to better fit Japanese society. They were able to adjust their advertisements while also keeping the Japanese in mind, which commonly happens in American advertising, and therefore changes the way people think about certain issues. Thinking the same way everyone else does is the exact way that people are trapped in cultural norms by marketing and the only way out of the trap is by re-evaluating the image that mass marketing has created.…

    • 1188 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Consumer Behviour and Culture
    • 11237 Words
    • 45 Pages

    Consumer Behviour and Culture

    Because our objective is to understand the influence of culture on consumer behavior, we define culture as “the sum total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to direct the consumer behavior of members of a particular society”…

    • 11237 Words
    • 45 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Culture-Bound Consumer Behavior
    • 3727 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Culture-Bound Consumer Behavior

    1. When selecting a UPL the Commander must take into consideration which of the following qualifications? The commander appoints an officer or non-commisned officer ( e-5 r above) on orders as the UPL…

    • 3727 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    consumer behavior
    • 517 Words
    • 2 Pages

    consumer behavior

    1. A marketer of health food is attempting to segment its market on the basis of Australia consumers’ self image. Describe the four types of consumer self-image and discuss which one would be most effective?…

    • 517 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    In Praise Of Consumerism 'And The Democratization Of Luxury'
    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In Praise Of Consumerism 'And The Democratization Of Luxury'

    Commercialism is in practically everything that we encounter on a day to day basis. It is in the water we swim in, the air we breathe, our sunlight and shade. In our society you can 't consume an object without consuming meaning which is a major part of the modern commercial world. People like having things and it has come down to the quality and quantity of what you have as to how you are perceived by others in society. Twitchell states in his article that the American Century will be the next era and that it will likely be the commandeer of the 21st century. So basically American culture is well on its way to being recognized and used by cultures all over the world. It will soon be the new world culture. Korten states that the United States has been the world 's most aggressive national proponent of economic growth and consumerism as the tickets to happiness; however what did clearly increase in the United States over this period were measures of depression, anxiety, distrust and psychological dysfunction. Although this article focuses on consumerism being a positive development for the 21st century, Korten shows that along with consumerism comes many personal and social…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    American Culture
    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages

    American Culture

    American culture is unlike any other in the world. There are many things that make our culture so unique and diverse. From historic events to the very way the United States was started, American culture has changed many times throughout its existence, and it keeps changing every day. One of the reasons why our culture is so unique is that it has been influenced by every single other culture in our planet. The United States is one of the most diverse countries in history. From its start, America has attracted people from all parts of the globe. People that have brought different customs and culture with them to this country, and this led to American culture being a mix of all others that have affected it throughout its history.…

    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Consumerism in the United States
    • 1475 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Consumerism in the United States

    Defining consumerism can be complicated. Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption (Fritsh). In other words, consumerism is the wants and needs of people based upon standards that are set in a given society and how those people acquire wealth. Throughout history, consumerism has evolved drastically since the first records of civilized society were recorded. The evolution of consumerism in the United States can be understood by dividing it into three basic components; trade, monetary policy and the digital economy. These types of economies can also be described as the agricultural economy, the industrial economy, and the post industrial economy.…

    • 1475 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Healthy Eating in School
    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Healthy Eating in School

    In America people are bombarded by an I.S.A. that encourages us to be consumers and…

    • 970 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Consumer Society
    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Consumer Society

    It is believed that advertising manipulates the society through the products of consumer culture, and promotes a false consciousness of needs that later on becomes a way of life. Pervasive advertising and consumer culture have caused a decline in the intellectual standards of U.S. popular culture. Peoples lives today involve little thought; most facts and ideas are fed to a person by the media. Often, misleading or untrue statements are passed through different ads, and only few are noticed or complained about. This system threatens the integrity of American democracy and ideology. This media-oriented society threatens to bring about an age of ignorance as we have never seen it before. The importance of the problem of consumerism cannot be understated.…

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics