American consumerism - Essay Example

Introduction The culture of buying in the U.S has completely changed over the years and this has coincided with a shift in adverising tactics from the product companies. Advertisements nowadays play a lot on the emotions and psychology of consumers. For instance, an advertisement will be run so many times in the media and the next time one is in the supermarket they will immediately feel as though that product is already familiar to them, compelling them to purchase it. This topic has become so prominent that there are already numerous debates on the same. Consumerism mainly focuses on the consumer’s inclinations towards certain products and brands. In other words, it seeks to answer the question- why are consumers inclined to purchase a particular product? An intricate look into this will reveal that most research in this area deals with goods of ostentation otherwise termed as luxurious goods. Such goods are perceived to be a status symbol. For instance, consumers tend to buy designer labels smply because of the message such clothing conveys. As earlier stated, the concept of new consumerism relies heavily on its marketing and targeting a particular group of consumers. The Politics of New Consumerism Part of the Americsn culture has been the need to "keep up". Juliet Schor coined the term "competitive consumption" to refer to the idea that spending is mostly driven by a certain need to compare or be competitive. Naturally, individuals identify themselves with a certain social group and hey therefore try to keep up with the norms of this group. Individuals are not contented with having the basic. The point reference is slowly but surely becoming the lifestyles of the upper middle class and the rich. Mere comfort is almost deemed to amount to poverty as people aspire to attain a luxurious life. A good example here would be in reference to technology. In America, smart phones sales are at an all time high simply because there is a “craze” that compels one to need an i phone 5 whilst he has an i phone 4 which will basically serve the same purpose. New technological gadgets have become a must have. Unfortunately, this culture of “upscale emulation” will be very difficult to kill because there is a generation who have been brought up in it and it is the only thing they know. Therefore, as they grow up, they also pass it on to their kids. Very many individuals are living on the premise of- fake it till you make it. Which basically means, if you don’t have it, act like you do have it, till you actually have it. In the American society today, a lot of emphasis is laid on the quantity of “stuff” in life as opposed to the quality of life. Therefore in order to determine whether one has a quality life, we simply look at the quantity of “stuff” in his life. In a recent interview, Virgin Atlantic Airways president Richard Branson stated that he would donate half his wealth to charity. When asked why he would do this, he said that the quality of life is determined by good health, family and friends and not the things one owns. He gave an example of their house which burnt down which included all their possessions and the only thing they missed most were their photo albums and not the priceless antique and art that was lost. In truth, there is a very distinct difference between one’s wants, needs and desires. However, the way of living has made the difference so vague that nowadays there is a very thin line thus affecting ones mode of purchase. To fully understand this I will give an example, the fashion world same as the technology world is growing at a very high pace. It is very common to hear someone saying I need to buy a Gucci or Louis Vuitton bag or shoes. Focus on the word need. Do you really need a designer bag? What purpose does a bag serve? To carry personal items and may be secondarily act as an accessory, purposes that would also be served by non-designer bags. My point is the consumer’s definition of need, desire and want is skewed. Desires have been translated into needs and as a result become wants. With the “self-imposed” high cost of living, it has become very difficult for American households to save their income. There has been a constant rapid decline of saving rates in the country. In 1980, it was at roughly 8 percent and this declined to around 4 percent in the early 90s. The rates are currently at zero, a truly worrying trend. Although it would be important to note that the saving rates decline should not be attributed solely to an increase in spending, as other factors have also played a role in this, for instance the stock market. Nevertheless, such raesons should not be alluded to because there are other alarming statistics evidencing the decline in saving rates. Statistics reveal that almost two-thirds of American households do not save in a whole year. There are high credit card debts, and this have skyrocketed, with unpaid balances now averaging at around $7,000. There are new records being set in bankruptcy rates. In 1980, they were at 200,000 a year to 1.4 million in 1998. Conclusion Having looked at the problem at hand, it is imperative to prescribe a solution to these problems because it is no good simply identifying them then sitting back and twiddling our thumbs hoping they die down. The aspect of the need to identify with a social group has been at the expense of individual identity. Who are you as a person? What values do you uphold in life? And what do you deem to be important, quantity of “stuff” or quality of life? Very many individuals have conformed to societal expectations that they have long forgotten their own expectations. People tend to live for others and everyone is turning into a “people pleaser”. With such an attitude, the individual gets lost in the crowd. This is by no means meant to glorify radicalism. It is simply advocating for people to be comfortable in their own skins. Americans did not suddenly become greedy. This did not happen over-nght. It has been a gradual process and the journey back to where they were initially will be gradual as well. That being said, the structural changes for instance the decline of community and social connection, has greatly contributed to the new consumerism. The structures in place naturally class people into different social stratas. For instance, there are neighbourhoods for the affluent and for those who are in the middle class and for the low income earners. The same has aaplied to the recreational places- hotels. If these structures could change, then people would stop classifying themselves and aspiring to move to the next level. My sentiments should not be interpreted to mean that we should not be ambitious and have dreams, they should be interpreted to mean, our dreams should not only be about what we have in terms of material wealth. There is so much to dream about so lets get out of this box of materiality and seeks new dreams. REFERENCES Juliet Schor. The New Politics of Consumption. 1999. Frank Trentmann. Beyond Consumerism: New Historical Perspectives on Consumption. 1 November, 2011. John H. Lienhard. The New Consumerism. 1989. Shannon Mcbeen. The New Consumerism. 9 May, 2011. Read More