Do
the positive effects of consumerism outweigh the negative effect, or are we
just ignoring the consequence of this life style? In American people are
surrounded by advertising, no matter where they are. Whether they are driving
down the road listening to music, or reading billboards, or at home playing
games or watching television there is someone trying to sell them something.
This is not news to anyone living in today’s world. “However, as the years have
progressed, the sophistication of advertising methods and techniques has
advanced, enticing and shaping and even creating consumerism and needs where
there has been none before, or turning luxuries into necessities.” says Anup Shah
(03/04/2012), in her article
Media and Advertising. Or as Chuck Blore,
said in The Media Monopoly, Sixth
Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), p.185. said “Advertising is the art of arresting
the human intelligence just long enough to get money from it.” Products, and even beliefs, sold in the form of
entrainment and have made consumerism a way of life in America but is the true
cost?
The
first question that comes to mind when we think about consumerism is; when did
it all start? The Industrial Revolution, in the 1800’s allowed products to be
mass-produced but it was not until about 1906 that consumerism really took
off. According to Gale Research Inc.
(1996 and 2002), “The radio got its voice on Christmas Eve 1906.” (Heading
title: History). With the invention of radio, businesses were finally able to
reach people in their own homes allowing consumerism to move full steam ahead.
In 1927, with the invention of television, consumerism was already a way of
life in America but television gave a renewed passion to owning things.
Though
mass-production and in home advertising American were encouraged people to
think about leisure actives and devices. In addition, the high demand for newer
and better things, brought on by this, allowed for the invention of newer and
better things. However, consumerism also made noticeable classes available in
America and started the saying “keeping up with the Joneses.”
Consumerism
also had an effect a “The Great Depression.” According to the history books,
The Great Depression of the 1930s started with the stock market crash of
October 1929 and lasted until early 1940s.” Rosenberg (2014) Some believe The Great Depression was the
first effects of a consumer driven society. Many blame mass-production for The
Great Depression while others do not think it is that simple. Whatever the
belief it is easy to see how The Great Depression lasted longer due to the
overstock of products brought on by consumerism.
However,
without mass-production and consumerism we would not have had the factories to
help us with World War II. According to "The Rise of American
Consumerism" by PBS (n.d.), “Wartime production had helped pull America's
economy out of depression.” One has to wonder how much longer the depression
might have lasted if the factories were not available to help the United
States.
The
belief that consumerism only has good outcomes has continued to make it a huge
part of American culture. Of course, everyone can see how consumers need for
the latest gadget is pushing for new inventions. It is easy to see how this
continuous turn over for newer and better products is also allowing for more
jobs in and outside of the factories.
The saying “yesterday science fiction is todays science fact” is easy to
see in the world today. Within this height of consumerism, we can also see how
it has led to many people thinking outside the normal product and services box.
Consumerism therefor is allowing from growth in smaller or owner run business.
(Self-publishing, Uber, EBay sales, just to name a few.)
It
has also increased the availability to Americans for more avenues of
entrainment and leisurely actives. All we have to do it turn on a radio, movie,
or the television to reminded that more stuff equals happiness and without
consumerism we still be stuck in the dark ages. With today’s entrainment
needing to double for a babysitter so both parents can work, it is even more
important that it teach morals. Having one set of morals is important to ensure
all of society has a similar belief system. Disney is a great example of
showing how everyone can have a happily ever after if they just follow the
right path.
Why
fix something that is not broke right? Consumerism is breaking the American
society. In addition, it is causing damage (possible irreparable) to the earth.
Businesses
are using planned obsolescence (or built-in obsolescence) to make sure we
continue to buy the latest product and throw out the old without getting it
repaired. Dan Kulpinski’s show The Human Footprint, from national geographic, (Dec
5, 2013), reminds us “Americans generated 251 million tons of trash in 2006,
the most recent year for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
data.” Rachael Tulipano (Dec 5, 2013), further explains “This “garbage” ranges
from the obvious examples of food waste, to the material goods that have broken
beyond apparent repair, to the objects we choose to abandon in exchange for
their newer, more efficiently innovated counterparts.”
In
addition, Heinberg, R. (Jul 24, 2013) The Brief, Tragic Reign of Consumerism tells
us “The math is simple: even at a fraction of one percent per year growth in
consumption, all of Earth’s resources would eventually be used up. The consumer
economy also produces an unending variety of wastes, of which water, air, and
soil can absorb only so much before planetary life-support systems begin
unraveling.” (Paragraph: What could possibly go wrong?)
Not
to mention that fact that all the over time, or second job, leaves the average
consumer with little or no leisure time. So who is really enjoying the benefits
of all these “time saving” gadgets? The throwaway society mentality is also
seeping into Americans home life. According to Meyer on about.com (n.d.), “We
live in a disposable society. Marriages are thrown away in the same fashion one
would toss an old pair of shoes.” (5). So what about the “fact,” “more stuff
equals happiness and without consumerism we still be stuck in the dark ages”?
The American dream of owning it all continues but Americas just become more
depressed. According to The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2004),
“Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults
or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.”
(Paragraph title: Major Depressive Disorder).
However,
teaching strong morals through movies and televisions is working, right? Some
say American has become a nation of sheep,
with the select few choosing the morals for the
country, and the status quo are happy keep them sheep. One has to wonder what
will happen to make Americans wake up to reality of it all. Let us not forgot,
that the media maintains several antiquated ideas like that, a woman must have
a man to survive or that men are incapable of raising children.
So,
do the benefits out weight the cost? Are the American people still willing to
pay the price of a throwaway society with increased divorce rates, increased
depression, and the irreparable damage to the planet we live on? Are they
willing to continue to allow a select few to set the Morals for everyone?
As
they said in the Brad Pitt 1999 movie, fight club “The things you own end up
owning you. Right. We are consumers. We’re the bi-products of a lifestyle
obsession” We do not NEED all the things we think we need, and NEWSFLASH! When
we get the things we think we need…they probably aren’t making us any happier.”
(http://theblogformen.com/fck-martha-stewart-11-lessons-from-the-movie-fight-club/)
This
is one American, which is ready to stop paying for the carousal ride, where you
never get the brass ring of happiness. Is it not time to learn to enjoy life
without the stress of consumerism?
Resource links:
·
Shah, A. (03/04/2012).
Media and Advertising. Retrieved from
http://www.globalissues.org/article/160/media-and-advertising
·
Chuck Blore, a partner
in the advertising firm Chuck Blore & Don Ruchman, Inc., quoted by Ben H.
Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000), p.185. Retrieved
from http://www.globalissues.org/article/160/media-and-advertising
·
Gale Research Inc.
(1996 and 2002). Radio. Retrieved from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/radio.aspxhttp://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/p/greatdepression.htm
·
Rosenberg, J. (2014).
The Great Depression. Retrieved from
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/p/greatdepression.htm
·
The Rise of American
Consumerism. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tupperware-consumer
·
Kulpinski, D. (Dec 5,
2013). Human Footprint: Where Does All the Stuff Go?. Retrieved from
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/human-footprint/trash-talk.html
·
Tulipano, R. (Dec 5,
2013). America the wasteful: A detailed look into our throw-away society.
Retrieved from
http://gentwenty.com/america-the-wasteful-a-detailed-look-into-our-throw-away-society/http://www.postcarbon.org/blog-post/1786882-the-brief-tragic-reign-of-consumerism-and
·
The National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH). (2004 ). The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in
America. Retrieved from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml#MajorDepressive
