ON ADULTS AND CHILDREN IN THE US
The Effects of Materialism & Consumerism on Adults & Children in the US
It is a common instance each year that different brand labels launch a brand new or updated product just in time for a special occasion. Whether it may be in time for the change of seasons or just for the holidays, there is something new. In some countries, particularly developed countries, can follow the trend and buy whenever there is a release. For other countries, they would only buy something new once they have the money to buy them. Why are companies bent on releasing new items almost each month and why do people look for more? This reasoning today is called consumerism and materialism. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of materialism and consumerism on adults and children within society. In order to achieve the existing objectives this study precedes as follows: a discussion of the definitions of materialism and consumerism, a discussion on how adults and children get affected by this thinking, a discussion of the long term mental, physical and psychological effects of materialism and consumerism, and finally, a summary of the entire process of where society is influenced and affected.
Consumerism and materialism are interconnected in terms of their definition and the corresponding effects it has on people. Consumerism has several meanings, each pointing out to the increasing rates of consumption that defines a strong economy. This increasing consumption affects cultural and social aspects as they enter the world of commodities. Other sectors have their own perception on the term itself. For businessmen, consumerism refers to the disruptive beliefs of politicians who made it their purpose in life to harm their companies. This definition influences public trust on businesses and disrupts freedom of choice. There have been arguments that indicate that consumerism is necessary to maintain the flow of society and the economy. Corporations must keep producing goods, and it must be purchased by consumers. This in progress enables the economy to earn their gross domestic product each year. Marketers would also often change strategies to target the market to enable them to contribute to the economy. This is the reason why some of the marketing strategies available today target the market through the use of psychological campaigns. Social trends also determine the steps used by corporations in identifying the market they want to control next.
Consumerism is always present in businesses and the economy because companies have the capacity to develop planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence goods. Planned obsolescence is items designed for the dump, so items can quickly become ineffective in a short period, which forces people to replace them. Perceived obsolescence, on the other hand, makes people think that a fully working item must be thrown out because it is no longer a trend. Some companies make items fail immediately; making it possible for people to throw off these items and buys new ones by changing the design. Fashion is an example to this perceived obsolescence especially if one does not follow the trend in shoes, clothes and even in accessories. This shows other people that one is not following the consumerism thinking and is deviating from the others.
In the United States, consumerism can be traced in administrations and has grown since the 1900s. Certain administrations even advocated for people’s support to keep consumerism and materialism flowing. One was in 9/11 wherein President Bush could have established several policies and announcements in reaction to the tragedy. On the contrary, he announced to the people that they should keep shopping. This action by Bush caused the Golden Era of Consumerism to exist in the country. Another administration who advocated consumerism despite the situation the country is in is the Eisenhower administration, wherein his advisers pushed for economic stability through consumerism. 1
Around the 1900s, the United States economists discovered that there is an immense drawback upon the industrialization of America and after the few civil wars they have experienced. To them, they thought that if everyone foregoes luxury and indulgence, no one will get their products. Giant department stores were built in urban areas while rural residents have the option to use mail-order catalogues to entice them to purchase. This appeal brings residents the desire to use these new items and buy them to experience happiness, completely forgetting the negative connotation of the term “consumption”. Women were usually the ones targeted by these markets as they buy more than three-fourths of all the commodities found at home. Women are noted as influential figures in enticing men and hired them as models in exhibiting new items. Coincidentally, women gradually understood the rights they must be given in society and fought for them. Since then, the women were gradually brought into the market and develop new marketing techniques to maintain the flow of consumers.
The youth is also subjected to numerous advertising media as corporations see them as a means to entice or persuade their parents or themselves to buy products. At least 40,000 different commercials are viewed by children each year, causing the child to remember the brand upon hearing the name alone. Studies see that children can identify the brand and then attribute a characteristic to it. This thinking is usually caused by having a TV in their bedroom and their television hours. This not only influences their growth but they also immerse in popular culture way earlier than expected. This, in turn, turns young children to become familiarized with the items and demand more possessions. Corporations also see children as a great market to exploit since they do not have the skills to analyze and properly decided the pros and cons of a product.3
Alongside consumerism is materialism, materialism functions at the individual level and influences one’s personal consciousness on consumption. Like consumerism, materialism also has different definitions. In one definition, materialism constitutes three personality traits such as possessiveness, non-generosity and envy. Materialism is possessiveness as people tend to maintain control on a possession. It is also non-generosity since a materialistic person tends to be reluctant to share the product they have bought to another person. Finally, materialism becomes the envy as one may tend to be vulnerable if they see a product they do not have. There have been some reported cases that people become more or less materialistic depending on their perceptions on the factors around them.
Materialism can be both positive and negative depending on how people take their impulses keep them buying to satisfy their urges. Some have argued that acquiring new items and possessing certain products may not be that serious in some cases. A person must have acquired the item because it is a goal they wish to attain. The reason on why a person pursues the item can also redefine the materialistic intentions a person has. This explains why there are people who strive hard to get an item and feel happy about it. It is not an addiction to these people and those similar to them. In some cases, however, materialism becomes an unhealthy obsession. This is called terminal materialism where in an item bought and consumed does not represent any significant goal or fulfil it. Some experts agree that materialism can also be caused by depression, and this goes the same way with consumerism.4
Materialism and consumerism has long-term effects that affect the individual in various aspects. Aside from the person, the environment and society around him is affected. For an object to be created for consumption, resources from other countries become used to satisfy the demand for these items. While these resources are reduced, it takes ages for these resources to be refilled or even reproduced again. In the United States, one can see that the country no longer the same amount of virgin forests and fresh water resources as compared to its state 70 years ago. Americans have to resort to drinking filtered water and use tap water to clean their plates and clothes. Before, using tap water as drinking water is safe to do. Communities forced to move out of these actual locations, such as Indians and Native Americans, are forced to enter cities and into factories to sustain their daily activities and expenses. Not only do these people no longer have a place to go to, they are continuously under the cloud of toxic chemicals to sustain the consumerism and materialistic desires of other people. Once the items are produced, the items people consume reduce wages and privileges of shop workers and factory workers. Since companies have to make the items eye-catching to the consumer, they lower the prices of these items even if they do not match their prices. As the items are deemed outmoded and decrepit once new items are released in the market, the waste it produces also contributes to the toxic substances which contribute to global warming.
Physically, consumerism affects one’s perception about what one intake and uses. Some items such as pillows are doused in chemicals which can affect the nervous system and reproductive system of the body. Some companies do not place warning labels in some of their items, which must be considered before purchasing. In terms of eating, both adults and children are affected in some ways than one. In the case of adults who wish to lose weight, advertisements would tell them to purchase items which do not work and even try diets that would affect one’s immune system. For pregnant women, the more artificially produced food they intake, the more toxins get placed in their body and into the children they would breastfeed. This would cause the child to drink the toxics instead of getting the vitamins in the breast milk. This goes the same way for children since they consume more fast food since this is seen as cool by their peers. Without any restrictions to their consumption of these types of foods, not only do they become prone to getting health complications, but they also reduce their lifespan. In the United States, many of its citizens would often be obese or in the hospitals because of too much fast and junk food. 5
Some studies have used a psychological well-being examination to verify if teenagers today are socially creative and do not indicate behavioural disorders. In the study, socially productive teenagers do well in school, can keep a job and have other hobbies and interests. In the study, the results showed that those teenagers who focus more on economic successes and non-materialistic values were not properly adapting to society and act destructively. They were also failing in school and exhibit rebellious thinking such as vandalism and weapons. Adults also show this same charm and spend most of their time to continue shopping to satisfy the norms they follow. This study points out a darker side to the country’s objective to gain more wealth, and it is affecting one’s well-being and happiness. Other studies followed this initial investigation and noted that people with high priority on materialistic beliefs have less self-actualization and more depression. They also experience less positive emotions in a given period. Their materialistic intents also affect their normal lives and reduce the amount of value they receive from their experiences each time.6
In addition to these psychological problems, consumerism and materialism also increase the cases of those who experiences mental breakdowns and even mental inability to understand their emotions and keep them in check. This problem is usually seen in children and some adults. Records have noted that there is an increase of children in the US who experiences emotional and behavioural problems up to 3.6%. Some children recorded in studies have ADD and depression each year. There are even cases of suicide by most 10-14 year old. It can also be concluded that these records indicate that children are less happy and vulnerable as they could have been in a strong and non-consumerism environment. Psychologists have noted that advertisements could have been at fault in this problem as they promote the importance of items/materials in life.7 Adults also experience these mental breakdowns, and there have been cases wherein some compulsively shop just to satisfy their content. There have been cases as well that regard that some adults who have compulsively shop experiences lawsuits due to unpaid bills and taxes, adding to the misery they already have.
Stereotypes are also changed by consumerism and materialism, and this can be seen today in American television and the market. One testament to this is the image of a woman. Before consumerism affected the mainstream channels, women were regarded in respect and are the foundation of the family. They dress modestly, sustain the family and home, and usually are at home. It can be attested that, upon the 1970s, women are empowered and would no longer accept this stereotype since they are also capable like men. Materialism and consumerism enters the picture by identifying the things that would make them a trendy and fashionable woman. When looking for love and marriage, many women express a preference for wealthy and high-status fiancés. However, this thinking varies depending on the woman’s location and country’s status. In countries wherein people have to fend for themselves rather than study, they would immediately state they wish to have a man who has many luxuries. This perception can be explained in their insecurity regarding their capacity to survive. Fashion is another stereotype which has emerged with the consumerism-materialism trends. As noted in an earlier paragraph, fashion gave the way for ready-made statements and customized identities. In the United States, many fashion brands would release pieces only for a particular season and rule them out in the next year. They also dictate the market each year which makes people throw items away once they are out of fashion, buy something new then replace it once it is announced that the old trend is back. This cycle itself influences a person’s spending splurges and eventually turn them into active consumers.
Americans slowly become more seduced by the promise of consumerism to become anyone they wish to become by buying items that would enable them to become the person they aspire. As people slowly see identity as something that can be constructed with the self-help books, commodities and even the new social skills show on advertisements; a person loses their sincerity. One also becomes extremely aware of a person’s vulnerability and the capacity to use delusion and a different mask. Some experts believe that this is a form of narcissism which not only affects a person’s mental state but also their interaction with people.8 This narcissism can then be pointed out as a result of scrutiny by people who are following the current fashion. This lowers their self-esteem and as long as they do not purchase the item that would make them feel in, they would continue to feel the pressure around them. In case of children, should they not have a item or toy which pertains to “cool” and “trending”, their peers will single them out and start becoming immoral. Some advertisements lure children into letting go of the norms taught in school and at home and embrace the values taught by the corporations. Spiritually, this will change them altogether and think that the things they see on TV are correct and those taught by teachers and parents are wrong. Some children would be stuck on this perception and eventually grow up to be violent and rebel.
Finally, the family is significantly affected by these trends, especially as parental styles entice children to become materialistic. Some studies have indicated that children do not believe that their parents will listen to their opinion, acknowledge what they feel and even help them to select choices since they see it on television. Parents are usually the evil guys or the dumb ones on some advertisements like gadgets and even in some toys. Teenagers become materialistic in this regard because their parents do not do anything to change this perception. The study noted that these teenagers’ parents are overprotective, harsh disciplinarians and lax regarding them. These traits can be terribly dangerous which affects the mind-set of children and become materialistic to forget their insecurities with their parents. Certain family events such as divorce and the family’s socio-economic status can also influence the individual to become materialistic and consume more. These two traits also affect socialization within the family as parents lose the time to bond with their children as they work almost 16 hours a day, go home and watch TV, rest and go back to work. Children are also more interested in playing with their new gadgets and surf rather than go socialize outside their homes and rooms. 9
In general, consumerism and materialism can be defined in two ways. The first definition that can be attached to both of them is that they are necessary to keep the economy flowing, as it would cover the majority of the country’s annual sales and income. The second definition that can be noted regarding these two terms is the fact that this is a perception driven to the minds of individuals by companies to keep purchasing items. What varies from these two is the fact that in consumerism, one purchases and uses the item because it may be of use or purpose. Materialism, on the other hand, possesses the item and then keeps buying for more without a valid reason. To influence the society to support consumerism and materialism, marketing strategies applied in advertisements entices them as they target a commodity and an emotion normally felt each day. This can be done through advertisements which can stretch the truth and yet make people forget about the true values they initially know. These advertisements will entice people to buy and get more due to the prices it has.
As time goes on, consumerism and materialism affects not only the individual’s perspective on a variety of things but also the environment around them. Resources are gradually being reduced just to create the items consumed by people. This causes some communities to work in areas that could also affect their health. People are also affected both mentally, socially and physically as some would forget the norms and values taught at home and go with the flow of the popular culture defined by corporations. People lose their time to be with their love-ones and would prefer deluding themselves with the images they can create with the items they purchase. The effects of these trends in the United States are still evident in the present generation and a possible change of attitude of these consumers can be quite hard to do. To alleviate the effects of these trends, people must open up their minds and critically assess what they purchase and what they see. This problem alone is usually the reason why people succumb to the temptations of consumerism and materialism. With an open mind and the concept that these trends affect the society and the environment entirely, one can stop the urges to become addicted to the worldly temptations of consumer goods.
Notes
1.The Story of Stuff. Directed by Louis Fox. Performed by Annie Leonard. 2007.
2. Coontz, Stephanie. The way we never were: American families and the nostalgia trap. (New York: Basic Books, 1992), 170-171.
3. Graboviy, Aleksey. "Consumerism and its Dangers to Children: A Call for Regulation in Advertising." Gatton Student Research Publication 3, no. 1 (2011): 3.
4. Trim, Julie Garfinkle. "Materialistic values and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American Adults." Proquest Academic, (2008): 4-8.
5. Leonard, Story of Stuff.
6. Kasser, Tim. The High Price of Materialism. (Chicago: MIT Press, 2003), 8-9.
7. Graboviy, Consumerism and its Dangers to Children, 5-6.
8. Coontz, The way we never were, 175-177.
9. Kasser, The High Price of Materialism, 30-35.
Bibliography
Coontz, Stephanie. The way we never were: American families and the nostalgia trap. New York: Basic Books, 1992.
Graboviy, Aleksey. "Consumerism and its Dangers to Children: A Call for Regulation in Advertising." Gatton Student Research Publication 3, no. 1 (2011): 1-11.
Kasser, Tim. The High Price of Materialism. Chicago: MIT Press, 2003.
The Story of Stuff. Directed by Louis Fox. Performed by Annie Leonard. 2007.
Trim, Julie Garfinkle. "Materialistic values and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American Adults." Proquest Academic, 2008: 4-20.
