The Role Of Consumerism In America
RWS 200
Costello
2/21/13
Consumerism in America Consumerism is a integral part of people’s lives in the United States. It evolved into something similar to what is advertised today once the Industrial Revolution was in full gear, making mass production and factory life a norm. Advertisers began to focus on convincing the public that they need certain products to be happy. The advertisers started to play off of people’s needs, such as the need for affiliation, the need to escape, etc., to convince consumers that their products will bring them satisfaction. As a result, people became materialistic and resources started to deplete due to the mass production and high demand of products. This boost in consumerism, though productive for the …show more content…
By creating products that people wanted instead of needed, advertising became “the imperialization of the psyche” (Ewen 24). Ewen explains this as advertisers manipulating the masses to make them believe that people need items that they don’t actually need. Ewen states how marginal utility plays on people’s emotions to sell different products (33). By playing on people’s emotions, the advertisement is doing more than just selling the product itself. For example, car commercials try to sell you not just a vehicle, but essentially happiness, by advertising how fast it goes, or how cool whoever drives it will look. The film The Ad and the Ego also touches on advertisers manipulative tactics when it discusses how advertising is always telling people “you’re not okay”. Ads tell people that they need to be better or fix themselves and then offer a product claiming that it is the solution. For example, during the Industrial Revolution, when consumerism became a big deal, an advertisement for a motion picture focused on the need to escape, which was what many wanted to do. The ad claimed that films could give “all the excitement you lack in their your life” and to take you to “a wonderful new world”. The advertisers take what they know people want they offer a solution or way to for people to get …show more content…
Dir. Harold Boihem. Prods. Harold Boihem and Chris Emmanouilides. Philadelphia: Parallax Pictures, 1997.
Ewen, Stuart. “Obliterating the Factory.” Captains of Consciousness. New York: Basic Books, 1976. 22-24.
Fowles, Jib. “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals.” Texts and Contexts. Eds. William S. Robinson and Stephanie Tucker. New York: Harcourt, 2000. 7-13.
"World Energy Supply." Oil, Coal, and Gas Reserves, Peak Oil, Global Energy Use Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
"World Population Balance." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb.
Costello
2/21/13
Consumerism in America Consumerism is a integral part of people’s lives in the United States. It evolved into something similar to what is advertised today once the Industrial Revolution was in full gear, making mass production and factory life a norm. Advertisers began to focus on convincing the public that they need certain products to be happy. The advertisers started to play off of people’s needs, such as the need for affiliation, the need to escape, etc., to convince consumers that their products will bring them satisfaction. As a result, people became materialistic and resources started to deplete due to the mass production and high demand of products. This boost in consumerism, though productive for the …show more content…
By creating products that people wanted instead of needed, advertising became “the imperialization of the psyche” (Ewen 24). Ewen explains this as advertisers manipulating the masses to make them believe that people need items that they don’t actually need. Ewen states how marginal utility plays on people’s emotions to sell different products (33). By playing on people’s emotions, the advertisement is doing more than just selling the product itself. For example, car commercials try to sell you not just a vehicle, but essentially happiness, by advertising how fast it goes, or how cool whoever drives it will look. The film The Ad and the Ego also touches on advertisers manipulative tactics when it discusses how advertising is always telling people “you’re not okay”. Ads tell people that they need to be better or fix themselves and then offer a product claiming that it is the solution. For example, during the Industrial Revolution, when consumerism became a big deal, an advertisement for a motion picture focused on the need to escape, which was what many wanted to do. The ad claimed that films could give “all the excitement you lack in their your life” and to take you to “a wonderful new world”. The advertisers take what they know people want they offer a solution or way to for people to get …show more content…
Dir. Harold Boihem. Prods. Harold Boihem and Chris Emmanouilides. Philadelphia: Parallax Pictures, 1997.
Ewen, Stuart. “Obliterating the Factory.” Captains of Consciousness. New York: Basic Books, 1976. 22-24.
Fowles, Jib. “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals.” Texts and Contexts. Eds. William S. Robinson and Stephanie Tucker. New York: Harcourt, 2000. 7-13.
"World Energy Supply." Oil, Coal, and Gas Reserves, Peak Oil, Global Energy Use Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
"World Population Balance." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb.