Consumerism Bruce Dawe Essay

Consumerism Bruce Dawe Essay
Consumerism – Bruce Dawe Poetry || 2009
Every society has mythology. In some societies, it's religion. Our religion is consumerism. As we are constantly exposed to mass media and popular
culture in our modern society, the insidious nature of consumerism has allowed it to penetrate into every aspect of our lives, dictating our very beliefs,
values and wants. Nearly every individual in our society subconsciously conforms to the shallow and superficial mindset that characterises our
consumerist culture. This idea is highlighted by the following texts; the poem "Enter without so much as knocking" by Bruce Dawe, an extract from the
sermon "The Religion of Consumerism" delivered by Peter House, the poem "Breakthrough" by Bruce Dawe, and the...show more content...
This text clearly shows that consumerism is responsible for many of the decisions we make regarding our life.
Bruce Dawe often deals with the issue of consumerism in his poems. Another of his works that underlines how much consumerism affects our lives is
his poem "Breakthrough". The italicised words at the start of the poem "A little girl is reported to have died happily...singing anadvertising
commercial." show the extent to which consumerism has affected this girl. On her deathbed, instead of turning to a traditional faith or religion, she has
instead turned to commercialism and consumerism, highlighting the fact that consumerism has become more relevant and important than traditional
religions, especially to the younger generations. In the first stanza the first three lines starting with "Full volume up on the celestial choir!" serve to
cheapen her death and turn it instead into some sort of a production. "Full volume up" and "Stand by for action" are examples of advertising jargon
used to further emphasise the point that consumerism exploits and demeans even something as serious as death. "The frail heart crumples like a paper
cup" compares something as wonderful and life–giving as a human heart to something as cheap and disposable as a paper cup. This serves as a
reminder of
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Consumerism: Childhood and Consumer Goods Essay
Consumerism is a very important aspect in the life of each and every individual. Everyday, people who live in developed countries are faced with
endless choices. These choices appear every where in advertisements through television and radio commercials, advertisements posted in public places,
magazines, etc. Consumerism takes form in these advertisements that makes us seem imperfect. Their goal is to make us buy products to satisfy
ourselves. Children are born into a world of consumerism, asking parents to buy them things just because they want it. Most of us are lured into
consumerism one way or another. Consumerism begins early in life; in fact, it begins when a child is born. When a child is brought into this world,
parents are...show more content...
If they receive a negative response, they start whining, crying, begging, etc. This is a response that consumerism wants children to have. Also,
family members play a big role in gender associating their children. Girls usually imitate their mothers when they are young, and boys imitate their
fathers. When you ask what they want to be when they grow up, girls tend to want to grow up like their mothers and boys like their fathers. As
children grow a little older and become teenagers, their main goal is to fit in. To fit in, you must dress, act, and like the same activities. Subgroups
are formed to differentiate different groups of people. Being popular isn't always the most important goal in a teenager's mind; it is making it
through high school without drama. Again, this stage in life is associated with consumerism. But, it is this stage where consumerism plays its biggest
role. The teenage years in life are an individual's most influential period. Also, somehow teenagers have a lot of money to spend on consumer
products. A reason why teenagers may be able to buy such expensive consumer goods is that they save money to obtain a prized possession which can
later on be a source of pride (Walsh, 1990).This is why themass media focuses consumer products on teenagers. For teenage girls, there is the constant
trying to look good to fit in. Since teenage girls follow Hollywood media almost every single

Consumer Culture Essay
"What is consumer culture?"
In the late 19th, early 20th century a new phenomenon arose. Along with the development of industrial advances and urbanization of the emerging
American culture was the growth and subsequent domination of the "consumer culture". Consumer culture is a term that goes hand and hand with the
American way of life today, but in those days it was a new and unique experience. Along with the development of the mail order catalog, advertising
became a focal point of American mass media. Advertising can be traced back as early as Franklin's "Philadelphia Gazette". After the turn of the
century hand bills were given in the streets listing goods and services that many merchants could provide, and the New York Sun...show more content...
The sign above the early amusement park at Brandywine Springs offered this advice: "Let All Who Enter Here Leave Care Behind." This is a pretty
slick analogy for the consumer culture, forget you worries and your work week buy things, buy fun...buy, buy, and buy. If you won't, don't worry
your wife will. The middle class house wife found release in shopping trips, and with the rise of affordable and luxurious items, coupled with a
decent, stable middle class allowed the women of the day to focus some of their energy of the fancy items for homes for wear and for leisure.
When the Industrial Age seized America, and the shifting of the all work and no play work week to an 8 hour day, it offered those from rural areas
a glimpse at life off the farm. This led to even more migrant workers moving into the cities. Without the surge of population would the consumer
culture have been so dominant? Would the middle class have grown so dramatically if industrial products didn't boom and consumer attitudes didn't
capture the nation? The middle class had the desire to be as beautiful and elegant as the elite upper class Americans. Once the standardization of the
work week, and the explosion of mass production with moderate consumer costs became a reality these things were possible for the everyman. The
every family now had places to go for a vacation or luxurious trip to an amusement park, or an event. The mass production, as well as mass
consumption was heavily reliant

Consumerism And Consumerism
Consumerism destroys most human elements in its path as it forces people to become dependent on the transitory joy of technological innovations. In
Fahrenheit 451, "15 Million Merits," and "Dover Beach," the pursuit of materialistic ideals requires the exchange of humanity for the brief
entertainment that technology provides. However, the trade also requires the consumer to become a slave to the will of media. The advertising industry
simultaneously creates and feeds upon the desperation of consumers as it brainwashes people to fixate on the acquisition of goods. Objects become a
measurement of success or a distraction for the absence of it. As a result, people tend to seek comfort in materials over human relationships in order to
fill the...show more content...
Due to the manipulation of media, Mildred believes that she can achieve true happiness if she gets a fourth wall. The completion of the parlor would
temporarily fill the growing loneliness within Mildred because she has sacrificed a real connection with her husband to spend time with her virtual
family. The parlor would no longer be a room in a household, but a portal to a virtual reality in which people completes their immersion into technology
and their evolution into media's robot.
Similarly, Black Mirror suggests that complete dependency on technology enables the media to dismantle people's free will. The parlor walls in
Fahrenheit 451 have become people's homes in "15 Million Merits." As a result, the ad industry has complete control over people's lives–it is
impossible to look away from ads because a high pitch noise will keep playing until viewing resumes. Bingham cannot choose the commercials he
sees, and he has to pay a fine to skip the "Wraith Girls" ad. Society forces people to conform to the will of the media, and they ultimately lack
individuality because media manipulates their likes and dislikes. At the same time, people no longer have the autonomy to choose the relationships
they form with people. After encouraging Abi to perform on Hot Shot, Bing realizes that he has condemned his only friend to a slave–like existence as
a Wraith girl. While Abi's talented performance moves the audience, Judge Wraith ultimately decides that Abi

Consumerism and Environment
HOW CONSUMERISM AFFECTS THE ENVIRONMENT 1. Firstly, I will give an introduction about consumerism and its evolution throughout time
and, to get a general picture of the subject, I will try to present different views on consumption, that is to say, advantages /disadvantages or pros and
cons of consumerism 2. Afterwards, Ill focus on problems of over–consumption, concerning the environment... 3. And finally, IВґll give some ideas
about what we can do (these are...solutions) as well as some conclusions
1.
Consumerism is a phenomenon that was always immanent in the relatively developed societies, where people purchased goods and consumed
resources excessive to their needs. However, there was a major change after the...show more content...
Plastic bags effect our environment because when they are thrown out they can get washed into our water ways .when they reach the rivers and oceans,
animals can get caught up in the plastic bag and suffocate.
The buying and selling of fuels is also a major issue because the machines it goes into turns it into a poisonous gas (carbon monoxide) which is omitted
into the world's atmosphere.
3.
So what is the solution? Can we do anything to change the consumerist society? Yes, we can and more than that– we have to. What the
anti–consumerists propose is – to own less and to enjoy what you own more. Basically, many things we buy we don't need. As it goes in an
anonymous quote "We buy things we don't need to impress people we don't know". And therefore, thoughtful consuming will finally get us to the
point of rational usage of natural resources. In order to change, we will have to get rid of a throw–away mentality. "Reduce, reuse, recycle" is a simple
anti–consumerist mantra. And it does work, even if you think that you alone will hardly make any difference.
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In Defense Of Consumerism
As humans, we may not exactly be able to read others' minds, but we are certainly able to manipulate them using what is called the art of persuasion.
The way a topic is handled, especially a sensitive and debatable one, plays a huge role when it comes to convincing someone regardless of their
previous thoughts on the issue. The Creation of Discontent and In Defense of Consumerism are two essays discussing the same topic: the effects of
consumerism on Americans. Clearly, these essays support contradicting opinions and the authors are sweating to make their voices heard using
different methods. While Schor decides to take a logos approach and use facts and statistics to support her point, Rockwell uses a pathos appeal
attempting to make his essay more...show more content...
When reading Schor's essay, one cannot properly understand the author's view on the issue until the very end. The first three paragraphs are purely
descriptive and utilize a lot of questioning statements, which makes the point to be made a little hard to predict and leaves It up to the reader to
decide on the final answer. For example, Schor opens her essay saying: "there is no doubt that the growth of consumption has yielded major
improvements in the quality of life" (612). While the sentence works as a good attention grabber, it does not reflect her strong stand against
consumerism. On the other hand, Rockwell uses his hook to emphasize his argument. He says: "I'm beginning to think that the epithet "consumerism"
is just another word for freedom in the marketplace" (615). This sentence clearly states the idea he wants to get across: consumerism is not a bad
thing. There is also other strong sentences throughout the essay that clarify Rockwell's stand on the issue, which work as a reminder of the author's
point of view, and make the essay as a whole more

Consumerism Essay
In the fourth era of the consumer movement, the key marketplace features include concern for the environment, increasingly complex technology, a
diverse market, and a global market. Concern for the environment has manifested itself in a number of different ways. One example is the Exxon
Valdez oil spill, which caused many consumers to become disappointed inExxon. Exxon has had to work at improving its environmental image after
this accident, and there are still individuals who will not buy gas at Exxon as a result of Exxon's handling of this situation. There has been a trend in
the past ten years or so to protect the environment and to also buy products that are more natural and environmentally sound. In our era, Fresh Fields, a
...show more content...
For example, genetic engineering has made it possible to buy produce that is bigger and lasts longer than non–engineered produce. Questions of safety
have been raised with respect to this practice, and some consumer groups have voiced concerns. Advanced technology has also made a business of
fertility problems, making fertility treatments a possibility, and the selling of human eggs has become a booming business. All this poses new
challenges and ethical dilemmas to the consumers of today.
Credit has become another key feature of the fourth era of the consumer movement. Direct marketing is widely used to target individuals who may
be eligible for credit, and these individuals are aggressively pursued. Credit abuses exist, including giving credit to students who are not in a
financial position to acquire such debt. In addition, companies exist that claim to be able to fix credit problems for a fee, and in fact, they do
nothing that consumers cannot do themselves, by writing the credit bureaus, for example. Claims that a company or agency can miraculously clean
up bad credit are simply false. The use of credit as a way to purchase goods and services has greatly altered the world in which we live, and has
changed the way that consumers operate in the business world.

Consumer Consumption Essay
Are You What You Buy?
As a society we are embedded in a culture of consumption. Consumerism brings out a passion in people to have things, be it objects or services that
will make them feel better. This "passion" becomes a powerful force that makes people make some unwise decisions in their life. The money
consumers spend on these goods could be going to the ever–surmounting needs for health care, poverty help, or other things that would help the society
as a whole. This is why America is the prime example of a capitalistic consumer society and not a socialistic country. Peoplewant things for themselves
before anyone else. All cultures need consumerism to survive, because we need food, shelter, and clothing and the last time I checked...show more
content...
From my experience, and especially one I can remember from my childhood, playing on my middle schools basketball team where all of us
wanted to wear the exact same pair of black Air Jordan's with black Jordan socks. I had already bought some shoes but as soon as the season was
approaching and the new edition came out we were all obsessing with having them, especially since our best player on the team had just got a pair.
After a few days of constantly asking my parents gave in and I was ecstatic. My favorite part about getting new shoes was going to the store and
looking at all the shoes on the wall but knowing that I was getting the best and most expensive pair. "Kids can recognize logos by eighteen months,
and before reaching their second birthday, they're asking for products by brand name. By three and a half, experts say children start to believe that
brands communicate their personal qualitiesВ…"( W109R 43).The next day was great and although not everyone could afford the shoes everyone
who started that year did have the all black Air Jordan's and we looked great.
Consumption can also be looked at in the form of the store and how its design and the feelings their designs are meant to generate. At the top of the
store group are

Consumerism Vs Consumerism
Since the beginning of time, people have always been trading their goods with other people. This is somewhat similar to buying products at the stores
when "we" the consumers go shopping, we are trading in our money for their merchandise. Then the 1950's came along with the first credit card and
people have been buying products worldwide and have been demanding more and more ever since, developing the method buy now, pay later". Having
this in mind, you can see that American consumerism has been growing throughout the years. It might be that consumption has helped create a variety
of jobs in the world. What people aren't considering is the state they leave their environment in. The more consumerism grows the more the earth
suffers. The man has always wanted to "fix" the world to make it a better place, yet man is what is destroying this environment in many different types
of ways.
As a child, my uncle was always spending money on things that he didn't need. When I was 10, he began buying tv's, projectors and computers
and he would fix them and then sell them but not all of the products that he would purchase he would fix so he would just put them in the extra
room he had. A few years passed and the extra room became so crowded you weren't able to open the door to get in the room much less walk in it. As I
grew older he began buying more bigger things like cars, he would do the same thing fix them and sell them. He began to overspend on the cars and
his backyard is now

Consumerism Worldview
There are many different types of worldviews that that are held among the countless people of this world. Consumerism is one that is very prominent in
this day in time. "Consumerism absolutizes consumption by believing that we can find fulfillment by accumulating wealth and everything that comes
with it." (Wilkins &Sanford, 2009). There are many different elements of consumerism I will discuss, along with how this worldview of consumerism
compares with the Christian worldview, and lastly, I will express how knowing what theBible says about consumerism affects my life personally.
According to Wilkins and Sanford (2009), there are several elements of a consumerism worldview; accumulating and using things brings fulfillment,
money is power, we need just a little bit more, people are viewed as objects to consume, and if something ceases to fulfill me or meet my needs it
should be discarded. With the idea that by accumulating and using things brings fulfillment, whether it be fulfillment of material things or fulfillment
of emotional needs, this worldview neglects to fulfill our deepest emotional needs leaving us always desiring more to fill that void. Money is power
leaves people always striving to accumulate wealth so they can have power and control over situations, because you are only important or significant
if you have wealth. Also with the consumerism worldview, we always feel that we need a little bit more, because what you already have is never
enough, due to material

Consumerism Essay
The technological age of humanity is regarded as one of the most crucial aspects of the advancement of the human race. Breakthroughs in important
fields have without a doubt fortified the strength of our species; however, every action has a consequence. As the world becomes more intuitive about
the role humans have in society, the economy, and the environment, concerning the products and stuff they own, there has been a focus on the role of
consumerism. Throughout history, there has been a movement towards adding and consuming things as a status of wealth, happiness, and power. This
notion is associated with the terms consumption and consumerism. Consumerism describes the shift in American culture from a producer–oriented
society in the nineteenth century to a "consumerist" society in the twentieth century ("Consumerism"). Additionally, the concept of having a "standard
of living" emerged alongside the shift from societies living with limited money and resources to an era of sustained growth with a more consumer
based society. This notion of consumption and consumerism and the culture of constantly buying things to either fill voids in our lives or to show our
social and economic status has affected our world and environment as we know it. More specifically, consumerism has influenced the way we think and
affect the oceans. Therefore, the question we chose to address in our capstone project is: how have humans, as consumers, impacted the climate and the
earth's ecosystems

Essay on Consumerism
If you want to know if all of our holidays have been turned into consumer driven shopping orgies, the answer lies in the major department stores.
Take a walk through Macy's or Lord or Taylor or any major store in Oct. and notice the Christmas decorations. That's right, Christmas decorations.
`Tis the season to break the bank. Our capitalistic society is always looking for a reason for driving consumerism and what better reason than a
holiday! If there's a month without one, we'll make one up...just so we have some reason to put some useless piece of crap on sale. What ever
happened to all the traditional values that are at the core of all or most of these holidays? Do we as a society even remember?
Since it's the holiday...show more content...
"The annual celebration of the American consumer economy– the holiday shopping season– is just underway..." (The New York Times/12/7/03/ Is
Wal–Mart Good for America?) The article is talking about the most popular shopping day of the season, Black Friday; the day after Thanksgiving. I
must admit, I participate in the day of over indulgence. Every year, my mother, aunt, cousin, and I wake up at 5am and head off to the malls of New
Jersey (to avoid the tax) and get as many good deals as possible.
While Christmas may be the main shopping holiday, there are many other holidays that have been commercialized. Valentine's Day is Russell
Stover's goldmine. I mean, come on, nothing says "I love you" like a big box of fat. Then there's Halloween. This is another money making holiday
for the candy companies. But also for whatever company makes those paper thin costumes that we dress our children up in to go wander the streets at
night for candy. Thanksgiving is a perfect holiday to actually get in touch with your family over a delightful dinner. If your family is like mine, it
usually ends up to be eating too much and fighting even more. There's also the Macy's Day parade to welcome in the official start of the shopping
season. Let's not forget Easter; it's the spring version of Christmas. Another religious holiday, the resurrection of Christ, has been attached to a

Essay on Effects on Consumerism
Consumerism is a description of society's lifestyle in which many people embrace to achieve their goals by acquiring goods that they clearly do not
need (Stearns, 7). The idea that the market is shaped by the choice of the consumers' needs and wants can be defined as a consumer sovereignty
(Goodwin, Nelson, Ackerman, Weisskopf, 2). This belief is based on the assumption that the consumer knows what it wants. Contrary to this logic,
marketers convince us that the consumer does not know what they want. The consumer has to be told what they want or be persuaded by advertising
items in a matter that demonstrates the reason a product makes their life easier or will improve their life instantly. As one of the most successful
entrepreneurs,...show more content...
Consumption, we describe as the act of meeting basic needs with material goods and the practice of consuming as a way of life is 'consumerism' (
Kennedy 173). The ideology that the meaning of life is found in buying things has really caused majority to spend almost their monthly salary on
goods and services in search of utility. This excessive recreational spending also plays a part in increase of inflation, also has made more money in
circulation. The world is the influenced by what they see and want to be there, where the low class wants to be like the middle class and the middle
class trying to look like the upper class. Today celebrities and people in upper class have influenced our sense of importance and needs, when it comes
to the aspect of picking commodities. Thus, many have resulted to high and unnecessary expending in order to imitate a particular social icon. It can
be ascertained that almost all average American adult being in debt might be as a result of overspending their need limit. This excessive and
unnecessary spending as a result to boost our economic status has led to some drastic tragic events. A Chinese man, Tao Hsiao, 38, on the 9th of
December 2013, jumped to his death in a shopping mall at China because the girlfriend would not stop shopping after several hours of shopping ( The
Washington Times). "He told her she already had enough shoes, more shoes that she

Consumerism In Modern Society
Modern Society and Consumerism. Consumerism has became a part of every aspect of modern life. Parts of our lives that were not altered by
consumerism, now have to conform with this phenomenon that has taken control. Consumerism is a reality that has always happened in developed
nations, in which people purchase goods and services that they do not need. Nevertheless, with the Industrial Revolution the way the economy
worked changed completely. An incredible amount of resources was now available to a wide range of the population. With the Industrial
Revolution also came the capitalism. The capitalism was a new form of economy that caused a rapid growth of middle classes in developed
societies (Webster). The population that was considered part of the middle class now had money to acquire not just basic needs for consumption but
also other other goods and services they wanted. To better understand the term "consumerism" we must first understand what it means and who it
affects. To consume signifies using something to satisfy one's own needs and desires. To be a consumer means purchasing goods and services for
personal use. As stated by Bauman, "consumed things cease to exist, literally or spiritually." They tend to be used in a physical way (by eating them
or or wearing them) or in a spiritual way (when something loses its personal value). Buying and owning things has became a huge necessity for people.
With the development of technology, the way we share information was

Consumerism
The Growth of Capitalism The growth of consumerism began in the early 1800's with the birth of the industrial revolution. Because of the revolution
companies were able to rapidly and efficiently produce products for a low cost which made them accessible to a larger demographic. This unrestricted
access to products sent America into an era of mass production and consumption and with the growth in production came competition between
companies. Commodities such as razors, soaps, and condoms became targeted towards certain people and started a branding race for all personal
products. The marketing and advertisement of personal products has greatly impacted the advancement of America's capitalist society. The growth of
democratic capitalism fundamentally changed the class system, which was in part due to the production and advertisement of products. In an essay by
Daniel Horowitz he states, "Democratic capitalism had enabled even industrial workers to enter and remain in the middle class." The middle class was
the bulk of consumers in the 20th century, mass production and the accessibility of products only expanded the middle class and further expedited the
growth of companies. With the explosion of so many people and consumers it only fed into the capitalist boom that is still thriving well into the 21st
century. The rapid increase in consumerism marked the beginning of a vicious competition between companies who were competing for their client's
money. Consumers

Negative Effects of Consumerism Essay
Negative Effects of Consumerism on North American Society
Consumerism is damaging to our society, in our North American society consumerism is often portrayed to be a negative aspect of people's lives.
However, one can also argue positive effects that result from consumerism, or emphasize on the negative effects of consumerism and how it can be a
constraining force in one's own life. Consumerism is an idea of an economic policy that the market is shaped by the choice of the consumer and
continues to emerge to shape the world's mass markets. Some of the negative effects of consumerism that many critics may argue and that will be
further emphasized on are the overexploitation of consumerism which has lead to economic poverty, and increase...show more content...
The rich consume at the expense of the poor as further resources are expended maintaining this unequal balance of power. (Kaza, 2000)
Additionally, many environmentalists argue that consumerism has severe affects on the environment and blame it for many issues society is currently
facing. Some major concerns about consumerism are that it can cause pollution, land contamination, and forest degradation. The production and waste
of products used in consumption is related to pollution. Industrial waste and automobiles are primary examples, as well as waste from industrial
agriculture and individual consumer waste. A main issue that exists is the exporting of pollution and waste from developed countries to poorer
countries, a process which is done due to the fact that poorer countries have lower standards or exempt from the emission reduction targets (Shah,
2010). Similarly, according to the Chief economist for the World Bank Larry Summers the World Bank should be encouraging more migration of dirty
industries to less developed countries, ironically the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is perfect,
however there are many countries in Africa that are vastly under–polluted. Their air quality is probably vastly inefficiently low compared to city like,
Los Angeles or Mexico City (Robbins, 1999). According to Larry Summers,

Consumerism Essay
CONSUMERISM ESSAY Whoever said money can't buy happiness? Today, the argument can be made that happiness and consumerism are directly
linked. It is fair to say that happiness is a relative term for different people. However, the obtaining of new and shiny things has become such a part of
everyday life, that it provides happiness when people are purchasing something new, and causes sadness when no buying is taking place. For many,
it seems to be a protective coating against the harsh realities of everyday stresses from a job, or family life. In fact, the buying frenzy of modern life
has become so prevalent, and people have collected so much material, that self storage facilities are becoming one of the most successful and...show
more content...
Admittedly, the priceless works of art, homes, helicopters and other things he buys are out of the reach of the average person. He has taken
consumerism to a new level, and has gained wide acclaim as a result of it. Gone are the days when the fastest runner, the best speller or the most
talented golfer were the icons of the culture. Today, those with the biggest and most expensive toys win, or so it seems. In the modern society, the
only time that talented athletes are revered is when they are seen in commercials using the latest cellular telephone or smiling on a box of sugar coated
cereal. There is much that can be said about happiness as an element of pop culture as it relates to consumerism. Within the dollar–driven world of
modern America, happiness is often measured by the size of the vehicle in one's driveway, or the memory that their I–Pod contains. Happiness is a
commodity that seems to be able to be bought as an accessory with every item that is piled into the home of people from coast to coast. The instant
gratification that comes with material possessions, and the fact that credit cards make instant gratification through ownership possible, makes the
pursuit of happiness essentially a financial transaction at the local mall. As people become more and more scattered due to work and family
commitments,

Modern Society and Consumerism Essay
Consumerism is defined as "the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable" ("Consumerism"). Its primary motivation is
the idea that if one does not have all that money can buy, then he or she cannot be happy. This school of thought has become an integral part of modern
society not only in the United States, but internationally as well. While the exact source of this term and ideology are debatable, it is certain now that
consumerism is here to stay, intertwining with all aspects of American culture.
1. Origins According to Alyson Dickerman of Ouachita Baptist University, consumerism "is as old as the first civilizations." People have been buying
goods and materials beyond their basic needs since the days...show more content...
Bernays gained much notoriety after studying his uncle's writings on psychology, learning that humans chiefly react to emotions or feelings instead of
facts. He used this information to subconsciously attract customers by offering to fulfill their desires for health, sex appeal, power and status, but only
if they bought the product being sold. Furthermore, Bernays led many to believe that objects were symbols of their character, manipulating them into
buying unnecessary goods.
2. Rapid Expansion Advertisement was not only used for companies; the government adopted similar strategies during the World Wars.Propaganda was
widely used to encourage the purchase of liberty bonds, tickets that promised payment after the war had ended with small margins of interest added
onto it. Posters were hung up all over the nation, telling Americans that if they didn't work every day that they were supporting Japanese soldiers, or
encouraging carpooling because "When you ride alone you ride with Hitler!" (Grant). This form of advertisement played on emotions to produce the
desired result, whatever it may have been. The reason propaganda ties in with consumerism is that sometimes the government and large corporations
had similar interests in mind. President Herbert Hoover supported the ideal of consumerism in hopes of

The Effects Of Consumerism
"Consumerism comes from the verb consume, which is rooted in the Latin word consumere, meaning to use up or to waste. The noun consumerism
also refers to a movement that promotes the interests of consumers – that is, people who purchase goods, use them, and then buy more – especially the
protection of these consumers from things like fraud or price gouging" ("Consumerism"). Consumerism has changed over the thousands of years that
people have been living. Some people believe that consumerism is great where it helps stimulate the economy, but other people see it as an evil force
because it hurts people and makes them care less about their self and the world around them. I can agree with the people that says it is good for the
economy; however, I have seen for myself that consumerism hurts people on different levels that other factors can not compete with. I believe that
excessive consumerism is...show more content...
It often makes people think that they have to have the newest items, but an experiment taken on by Alex Martin proves different. Alex Martin is a
resident from Seattle who decided to wear the same dress for a year in a way to protest against consumerism in the fashion industry (Holt 2). In an
interview that I have read from NBC Learn, she had mentioned that she had seen that people did not really notice that she had the same dress on
every time they saw each other. She said, " We're all so concerned on about our own lives– what we're wearing and our work and our families– we don't
keep a mental tally of what people are wearing" (Holt 2). I can see her point of view from this angle and I say that I would have to agree with Alex
one hundred percent. From previous experiences, I have seen people wear the same thing multiple days in a row, but my colleges have not noticed and
tend to believe that they are wearing something new everyday. This is not the mentality people need to have on a day to day

Consumerism Bruce Dawe Essay

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Consumerism Bruce Dawe Essay