Media Influence On American Dream

The New Media and Its Influence on the “American Dream” Until recently when most Americans were asked, “What’s your definition of the ‘American Dream’?” the answer that probably would have been given is the rudimentary answer of good career, nice home in the suburbs, 2.3 children, and a white picket fence. However, these days with the emergence of mass media and an ever-changing economy, one could argue that the “American Dream” has taken a dramatic shift. Gone is the “Leave it to Beaver” definition of families where the strong father figure “brought home the bacon” while his charming and beautiful wife held down the household. These days both parents tend to be career-oriented in order to make ends meet and keep the household financially
Simply put, anyone despite previous social and class standing could come to America and work hard to put themselves and their family on the path to prosperity. However, in an article in The Atlantic, writer Chris Andrade spoke on his experiences when asking a group of youth in Yazoo, MS their thoughts on the subject, “I was traveling around the country asking people about the American dream, and when I asked them they answered without pause, a rapid-fire succession of desires for wealth and fame, obtained via the NBA, NFL, and hip-hop (Andrade, ‘Who Still Believes in the American Dream?’).” Indeed it seems the American Dream has shifted from being able to provide for your family with a good career, to one of being rich, famous, and powerful while enjoying all the luxuries and indulgences of life at the same time doing the absolute minimum of real
While many domestically born Americans may have become numb to the luxuries afforded to them simply by being born in this prosperous land, abundant immigrants arriving in this country still hold on to the idea of the American Dream. Another quote from the previously cited Chris Andrade article:
A recent immigrant from Mexico, taking his son fishing in the Rio Grande on a bright Sunday, shot back when I asked about the American dream. “I am living the American dream. I have a job, a family, and my son goes to a great school, and if he works hard enough, he can have any job he wants. I didn’t have that. He does. That is a dream come true.” (Andrade, “Who Still Believes in the American Dream?”)
While the media has warped the idea of the “American Dream” in the mind of many, to those out there still striving to make a living to be able to provide a better life for their children, the original concept is still alive and well, because they are living proof of