Materialism in America

2022 Words9 Pages
I think materialism in America plays a huge part in why more people are becoming poor and why some are staying poor. Honestly, if you were to ask people what makes them happy, a lot of their answers would include, "having nice things" Why? Because people judge on what others have and re-evaluate their own lives. In some cases people constantly feel like they don't have enough. Our society no longer cares about what people need, it’s all about WANT, WANT, WANT! Personally, I feel like the media plays a major role in materialism in America. They are constantly creating this false sense of happiness that comes along with having money or having nice things. For example, look at commercials or advertisements, they use elements of happiness to appeal to the consumer. Sut Jhally made a video called Advertising and the End of the World. In this video he discusses the elements of happiness which include: autonomy, self-esteem, friendships, family, and leisure. Think of commercials, most appeal to at least one of these elements... and the end result is the consumer feeling as though they need to purchase a certain product so that their love life can be better, or in other words, achieve happiness. I mean does more money or more belongings really buy you happiness? Or is it a burden on society? I mean even going back to song lyrics today, which brag about flashy cars, diamond necklaces, and bundles of money... these are all material possessions as well as cosmetic surgeries... I mean girls are getting boob jobs as gifts for graduating high school. What about the people who can only afford to eat soup? The American economy is fed by our materialistic desires. Even during the tough financial struggles of a recession, many Americans continue to purchase that which is bigger and better. America is the top consumer of global products and resources. This local and global buying

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