Most recent edit on 2007-10-19 17:02:31 by MelissaMalski
Deletions:
Final Draft
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. These mediums are used by the media with the intention to influence our purchasing decisions. Whether we realize it or not, the incessant TV commercials and magazine ads are triggering a significant increase in our consumption levels. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on anything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with these expenditures. My proposal will investigate how the media’s strong influence on our society has a direct link to the rising trend of over[-]consumption.
As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, fastest and cheapest merchandise. Marianne Ward of the Toronto Sun shows her disgust in the growing consumerism by expressing, “I blame Wal-Mart. Cheap products almost always drive up consumption. I know people who've bought extra stuff because it's cheap: I can buy three, one in each colour! I can buy one for each kid, so they don't have to share!”(Ward 1). I will present how Wal-Mart uses exceptionally low prices and substandard products to lure oblivious shoppers in and revenue up. [There's a lot of stuff currently going on at PSU about Walmart protesting, too. There was a film that recently showed about the "High Costs of Low Prices" (I can't remember the full title, but that phrase was part of it). You may want to include some of the hidden economic costs of Walmart in your project, as well]
Our cutting edge technology is producing new models that are constantly being re-invented to keep up with demand. It’s almost standard for cell phone to be replaced every three months just to keep up with the rest of civilization. We have turned into a society obsessed with needs, and must-haves. With this intense craze to constantly modernize our lives; we may wonder how things got to this radical stage. Though our technology is undoubtedly remarkable, I will argue that our media is the driving force behind the consumption explosion. With the flashy marketing tricks, and mind-boggling graphics, our media’s strength has seemed to mesmerize us. Through my investigations, I will aim to explore the apparent connection between the media’s influence on our rising consumption. [Also, you might want to consider the position, in the auto industry, that cars are as safe as they are going to get and that, now, the only thing to do between new models is to change the design.]
By presenting the upward trend, I will be able to asses and explain the significant problems that will arise from this development. Most importantly, I will display the severe ecological as well as psychological problems over consumption can generate. Though this problem may seem inescapable, I will provide some ideas that can actually serve as realistic solutions. Such examples would include, slowing down to appreciate everything we already possess, using a more efficient waste management system, recycling, and making smarter purchasing decisions. We are lucky to live in the most plentiful country in the world; unfortunately, we take it for granted. [Do we? Doesn't our ability to buy lots of stuff we don't need affirm our affluence?]
Though this problem may not seem currently relevant, I will show the grim reality that lies in our near future [this problem is staggeringly relevant. A lot of people are really concerned with this very issue]. Whether we like it or not, this is a problem affecting each and every one of us. Through describing the seriousness of our indulgences, I will open the reader’s eyes to the extreme impact the media has on us as consumers. The bittersweet truth is that the media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well, that it has completely shaped our mind-set and spending habits. Over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of our resources. As human beings we must remember that we share this Earth with over six billion other people. I will show that if we continue with our rising trend in consumption levels driven by the media, we will diminish what resources we still have left.
[This topic is awesome. I think you have a couple of things to think about, though: 1) Is overconsumption (as caused by the media) solely a result of advertising (because the media is more than marketing). I think you should definitely consider looking into the rise of crass consumerism after 9/11 (and Bush's speech that said the best way to support America was to go shopping). Fear is a very big motivator of this pressing issue you've identified. 2) I worry that you may be trying to do too much (and not enough) in this project: the media is a huge problem, overconsumption is a huge problem: think about talking about how media is a problem, then using overconsumption as one, specific, symptom of our media state. 3) You may also want to consider that we are economically retooling from a production economy to a consumption economy. Most of our things are not made in the US and most of our people are involved in service industries. I would like you to think about the issue of non-production and how it relates to consumption. If most of this doesn't make sense, please come see me and I can explain what I'm talking about. This is a topic that I am personal deeply invested in considering and I would love to hear more about what you plan to discuss]
WORK CITED
Githens, Lauri. "Children's Ads Creating a Craving." The Buffalo News [Buffalo,
Khatib, Adam. "TEENAGES." Poughkeepsie Journal 4 Dec. 2002: E02. Business
Oldenburg, Don. "'BUY NOTHING DAY' PROMOTED TO PROVIDE HOLIDAY
Ward, Marianne Meed. "NEED VERSUS WANT; OVER-CONSUMPTION OF
MATERIAL GOODS LINKED TO DISCOUNT PRICES." The Toronto Sun 28 Nov. 2004: 73. LexisNexisAcademic. LexisNexis. Pennsylvania State U. 10 Nov. 2005
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>∞.
REMIX
Melissa Malski
English 15
Proposal Paper
11/6/05
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. Each medium is used by the media as means to influence our purchasing decisions. We may not realize it, but the TV commercials and magazine ads are having a significant effect on our thinking and our wallets. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on everything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with our expenditures. My proposal will explain how the rising trend in our society’s spending has a direct link to our media’s influence on consumers to buy more.
As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, fastest and cheapest merchandise. Marianne Ward of the Toronto Sun shows her disgust in the growing consumerism by expressing, “I blame Wal-Mart. Cheap products almost always drive up consumption. I know people who've bought extra stuff because it's cheap: I can buy three, one in each colour! I can buy one for each kid, so they don't have to share!”(Ward 1). In response, our cutting edge technology is producing new models that are constantly being re-invented to keep up with demand. It’s almost standard for cell phone to be replaced every three months just to keep up with the rest of civilization. We have turned into a society obsessed with needs, and must-haves. With this intense craze to constantly modernize our lives; one may inquire where it all spurred from. Though our technology is undoubtedly remarkable, I will argue that our media is the driving force behind the consumption explosion. With the flashy marketing tricks and mind-boggling graphics, our media’s strength has mesmerized us. Through my investigations, I will aim to explore the apparent connection between the media’s influence on our rising consumption.
By presenting the upward drift, I will be able to asses and explain the significant problems that will arise from this development. Most importantly I will display the severe ecological and psychological problems the over consumption generates. Though this problem may seem inescapable, I will provide some ideas that can actually serve as simple solutions. Such examples would include appreciating everything that we already have, better waste management, recycling, and making better purchase decisions. We are lucky to live in the most plentiful country in the world; unfortunately, this reality is often times overlooked.
Though this problem may not seem currently evident, I will show the grim reality that lies in our future. Whether we like it or not, this is a problem facing each and every one of us. Through describing the seriousness of our indulgences, I will open the audience’s eyes to the extreme impact the media has on us as consumers. The bittersweet truth is that the media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well in fact that it has completely dictated our spending habits. Our over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of resources. We as human beings must remember that we share this Earth with over six billion other people. If we continue on our rising trend toward over consumption powered by the media, we will surely be left with little resources we have left.
WORK CITED
Ward, Marianne Meed. "NEED VERSUS WANT; OVER-CONSUMPTION OF
MATERIAL GOODS LINKED TO DISCOUNT PRICES." The Toronto Sun 28 Nov. 2004: 73. LexisNexisAcademic. LexisNexis. Pennsylvania State U. 10 Nov. 2005
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>∞.
very rough draft
Melissa Malski
English 15
Proposal Paper
11/6/05
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards everyday without giving it a second thought. These mediums are each used by the media to try and sway our purchasing decisions. Americans are spending more and more each year on everything from new gadgets to classic favorites. Our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with our spending. If this rising drift continues, there are several ecological as well as psychological problems that will arise. With depleting resources, our consumerism is putting our future in severe danger.
There is a direct link between the media’s influence our society and the rising trends in our consumption. We may not realize it, but the TV commercials and magazine ads are having a significant effect on us. As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, and fastest merchandise. With today’s technology, new models are constantly being re-invented. It seems as though a new cell phone needs to be replaced almost every three months. Though our technology is remarkable, our media gives it drive and power over our society. The flashy marketing tricks and mind-boggling graphics, our media craze has mesmerized us.
Though this problem may seem inescapable, there can actually be several simple solutions. The keys to avoiding dangerous media pressures all begin at home. If we each look around and appreciate all that we already have, we may not be so prone to go out and grab the latest appliance. We live in the most plentiful country in the world; however, this reality is often times ignored. We can also begin to recycle and reuse more. If we stopped thoughtlessly throwing away everything we were tired of or didn’t want anymore, we would save resources, time, and money.
Though this problem may not seem currently evident, the near future appears gloomy. The media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well in fact that it has completely dictated our spending habits. Our over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of resources. Though this is serious, there are some simple solutions that can be put in place immediately. We have to remember that we share this Earth with six billion other people. If we continue on our rising trend toward over consumption driven by the media, we will surely be left with little resources we have left.
Edited on 2005-11-21 22:25:15 by EschaTon
Additions:
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. These mediums are used by the media with the intention to influence our purchasing decisions. Whether we realize it or not, the incessant TV commercials and magazine ads are triggering a significant increase in our consumption levels. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on anything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with these expenditures. My proposal will investigate how the media’s strong influence on our society has a direct link to the rising trend of over[-]consumption.
As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, fastest and cheapest merchandise. Marianne Ward of the Toronto Sun shows her disgust in the growing consumerism by expressing, “I blame Wal-Mart. Cheap products almost always drive up consumption. I know people who've bought extra stuff because it's cheap: I can buy three, one in each colour! I can buy one for each kid, so they don't have to share!”(Ward 1). I will present how Wal-Mart uses exceptionally low prices and substandard products to lure oblivious shoppers in and revenue up. [There's a lot of stuff currently going on at PSU about Walmart protesting, too. There was a film that recently showed about the "High Costs of Low Prices" (I can't remember the full title, but that phrase was part of it). You may want to include some of the hidden economic costs of Walmart in your project, as well]
Our cutting edge technology is producing new models that are constantly being re-invented to keep up with demand. It’s almost standard for cell phone to be replaced every three months just to keep up with the rest of civilization. We have turned into a society obsessed with needs, and must-haves. With this intense craze to constantly modernize our lives; we may wonder how things got to this radical stage. Though our technology is undoubtedly remarkable, I will argue that our media is the driving force behind the consumption explosion. With the flashy marketing tricks, and mind-boggling graphics, our media’s strength has seemed to mesmerize us. Through my investigations, I will aim to explore the apparent connection between the media’s influence on our rising consumption. [Also, you might want to consider the position, in the auto industry, that cars are as safe as they are going to get and that, now, the only thing to do between new models is to change the design.]
By presenting the upward trend, I will be able to asses and explain the significant problems that will arise from this development. Most importantly, I will display the severe ecological as well as psychological problems over consumption can generate. Though this problem may seem inescapable, I will provide some ideas that can actually serve as realistic solutions. Such examples would include, slowing down to appreciate everything we already possess, using a more efficient waste management system, recycling, and making smarter purchasing decisions. We are lucky to live in the most plentiful country in the world; unfortunately, we take it for granted. [Do we? Doesn't our ability to buy lots of stuff we don't need affirm our affluence?]
Though this problem may not seem currently relevant, I will show the grim reality that lies in our near future [this problem is staggeringly relevant. A lot of people are really concerned with this very issue]. Whether we like it or not, this is a problem affecting each and every one of us. Through describing the seriousness of our indulgences, I will open the reader’s eyes to the extreme impact the media has on us as consumers. The bittersweet truth is that the media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well, that it has completely shaped our mind-set and spending habits. Over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of our resources. As human beings we must remember that we share this Earth with over six billion other people. I will show that if we continue with our rising trend in consumption levels driven by the media, we will diminish what resources we still have left.
[This topic is awesome. I think you have a couple of things to think about, though: 1) Is overconsumption (as caused by the media) solely a result of advertising (because the media is more than marketing). I think you should definitely consider looking into the rise of crass consumerism after 9/11 (and Bush's speech that said the best way to support America was to go shopping). Fear is a very big motivator of this pressing issue you've identified. 2) I worry that you may be trying to do too much (and not enough) in this project: the media is a huge problem, overconsumption is a huge problem: think about talking about how media is a problem, then using overconsumption as one, specific, symptom of our media state. 3) You may also want to consider that we are economically retooling from a production economy to a consumption economy. Most of our things are not made in the US and most of our people are involved in service industries. I would like you to think about the issue of non-production and how it relates to consumption. If most of this doesn't make sense, please come see me and I can explain what I'm talking about. This is a topic that I am personal deeply invested in considering and I would love to hear more about what you plan to discuss]
Deletions:
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. These mediums are used by the media with the intention to influence our purchasing decisions. Whether we realize it or not, the incessant TV commercials and magazine ads are triggering a significant increase in our consumption levels. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on anything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with these expenditures. My proposal will investigate how the media’s strong influence on our society has a direct link to the rising trend of over consumption.
As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, fastest and cheapest merchandise. Marianne Ward of the Toronto Sun shows her disgust in the growing consumerism by expressing, “I blame Wal-Mart. Cheap products almost always drive up consumption. I know people who've bought extra stuff because it's cheap: I can buy three, one in each colour! I can buy one for each kid, so they don't have to share!”(Ward 1). I will present how Wal-Mart uses exceptionally low prices and substandard products to lure oblivious shoppers in and revenue up.
Our cutting edge technology is producing new models that are constantly being re-invented to keep up with demand. It’s almost standard for cell phone to be replaced every three months just to keep up with the rest of civilization. We have turned into a society obsessed with needs, and must-haves. With this intense craze to constantly modernize our lives; we may wonder how things got to this radical stage. Though our technology is undoubtedly remarkable, I will argue that our media is the driving force behind the consumption explosion. With the flashy marketing tricks, and mind-boggling graphics, our media’s strength has seemed to mesmerize us. Through my investigations, I will aim to explore the apparent connection between the media’s influence on our rising consumption.
By presenting the upward trend, I will be able to asses and explain the significant problems that will arise from this development. Most importantly, I will display the severe ecological as well as psychological problems over consumption can generate. Though this problem may seem inescapable, I will provide some ideas that can actually serve as realistic solutions. Such examples would include, slowing down to appreciate everything we already possess, using a more efficient waste management system, recycling, and making smarter purchasing decisions. We are lucky to live in the most plentiful country in the world; unfortunately, we take it for granted.
Though this problem may not seem currently relevant, I will show the grim reality that lies in our near future. Whether we like it or not, this is a problem affecting each and every one of us. Through describing the seriousness of our indulgences, I will open the reader’s eyes to the extreme impact the media has on us as consumers. The bittersweet truth is that the media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well, that it has completely shaped our mind-set and spending habits. Over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of our resources. As human beings we must remember that we share this Earth with over six billion other people. I will show that if we continue with our rising trend in consumption levels driven by the media, we will diminish what resources we still have left.
Edited on 2005-11-16 01:31:43 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
Final Draft
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. These mediums are used by the media with the intention to influence our purchasing decisions. Whether we realize it or not, the incessant TV commercials and magazine ads are triggering a significant increase in our consumption levels. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on anything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with these expenditures. My proposal will investigate how the media’s strong influence on our society has a direct link to the rising trend of over consumption.
As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, fastest and cheapest merchandise. Marianne Ward of the Toronto Sun shows her disgust in the growing consumerism by expressing, “I blame Wal-Mart. Cheap products almost always drive up consumption. I know people who've bought extra stuff because it's cheap: I can buy three, one in each colour! I can buy one for each kid, so they don't have to share!”(Ward 1). I will present how Wal-Mart uses exceptionally low prices and substandard products to lure oblivious shoppers in and revenue up.
Our cutting edge technology is producing new models that are constantly being re-invented to keep up with demand. It’s almost standard for cell phone to be replaced every three months just to keep up with the rest of civilization. We have turned into a society obsessed with needs, and must-haves. With this intense craze to constantly modernize our lives; we may wonder how things got to this radical stage. Though our technology is undoubtedly remarkable, I will argue that our media is the driving force behind the consumption explosion. With the flashy marketing tricks, and mind-boggling graphics, our media’s strength has seemed to mesmerize us. Through my investigations, I will aim to explore the apparent connection between the media’s influence on our rising consumption.
By presenting the upward trend, I will be able to asses and explain the significant problems that will arise from this development. Most importantly, I will display the severe ecological as well as psychological problems over consumption can generate. Though this problem may seem inescapable, I will provide some ideas that can actually serve as realistic solutions. Such examples would include, slowing down to appreciate everything we already possess, using a more efficient waste management system, recycling, and making smarter purchasing decisions. We are lucky to live in the most plentiful country in the world; unfortunately, we take it for granted.
Though this problem may not seem currently relevant, I will show the grim reality that lies in our near future. Whether we like it or not, this is a problem affecting each and every one of us. Through describing the seriousness of our indulgences, I will open the reader’s eyes to the extreme impact the media has on us as consumers. The bittersweet truth is that the media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well, that it has completely shaped our mind-set and spending habits. Over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of our resources. As human beings we must remember that we share this Earth with over six billion other people. I will show that if we continue with our rising trend in consumption levels driven by the media, we will diminish what resources we still have left.
WORK CITED
Githens, Lauri. "Children's Ads Creating a Craving." The Buffalo News [Buffalo,
Khatib, Adam. "TEENAGES." Poughkeepsie Journal 4 Dec. 2002: E02. Business
Oldenburg, Don. "'BUY NOTHING DAY' PROMOTED TO PROVIDE HOLIDAY
FROM SHOPPING." The Buffalo News [Buffalo, Ny] 29 Nov. 1996: A10. Business
NewsBank.
NewsBank. Penn State U. 14 Nov. 2005
<
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/>∞.
Edited on 2005-11-11 00:27:13 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. Each medium is used by the media as means to influence our purchasing decisions. We may not realize it, but the TV commercials and magazine ads are having a significant effect on our thinking and our wallets. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on everything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with our expenditures. My proposal will explain how the rising trend in our society’s spending has a direct link to our media’s influence on consumers to buy more.
Deletions:
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. Each medium is used by the media as means to influence our purchasing decisions. We may not realize it, but the TV commercials and magazine ads are having a significant effect on our thinking and our wallets. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on everything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with our expenditures. My proposal will explain how the rising trend in our society’s spending has a direct link to our media’s influence on consumers to buy more.
Edited on 2005-11-11 00:26:26 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
REMIX
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards on a daily basis without thinking twice about their impact on us. Each medium is used by the media as means to influence our purchasing decisions. We may not realize it, but the TV commercials and magazine ads are having a significant effect on our thinking and our wallets. The truth is that Americans are spending more and more each year on everything from new gadgets to classic favorites. As a result, our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with our expenditures. My proposal will explain how the rising trend in our society’s spending has a direct link to our media’s influence on consumers to buy more.
By presenting the upward drift, I will be able to asses and explain the significant problems that will arise from this development. Most importantly I will display the severe ecological and psychological problems the over consumption generates. Though this problem may seem inescapable, I will provide some ideas that can actually serve as simple solutions. Such examples would include appreciating everything that we already have, better waste management, recycling, and making better purchase decisions. We are lucky to live in the most plentiful country in the world; unfortunately, this reality is often times overlooked.
Though this problem may not seem currently evident, I will show the grim reality that lies in our future. Whether we like it or not, this is a problem facing each and every one of us. Through describing the seriousness of our indulgences, I will open the audience’s eyes to the extreme impact the media has on us as consumers. The bittersweet truth is that the media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well in fact that it has completely dictated our spending habits. Our over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of resources. We as human beings must remember that we share this Earth with over six billion other people. If we continue on our rising trend toward over consumption powered by the media, we will surely be left with little resources we have left.
WORK CITED
Ward, Marianne Meed. "NEED VERSUS WANT; OVER-CONSUMPTION OF
MATERIAL GOODS LINKED TO DISCOUNT PRICES." The Toronto Sun 28 Nov. 2004: 73. LexisNexisAcademic. LexisNexis. Pennsylvania State U. 10 Nov. 2005
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>∞.
Edited on 2005-11-06 23:13:05 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
very rough draft
Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2005-11-06 23:12:10 by MelissaMalski []
Page view:
Melissa Malski
English 15
Proposal Paper
11/6/05
We all turn the TV on, open the newspaper, flip through magazines, and see billboards everyday without giving it a second thought. These mediums are each used by the media to try and sway our purchasing decisions. Americans are spending more and more each year on everything from new gadgets to classic favorites. Our society is becoming increasingly wasteful and careless with our spending. If this rising drift continues, there are several ecological as well as psychological problems that will arise. With depleting resources, our consumerism is putting our future in severe danger.
There is a direct link between the media’s influence our society and the rising trends in our consumption. We may not realize it, but the TV commercials and magazine ads are having a significant effect on us. As Americans we are always looking for the newest, freshest, and fastest merchandise. With today’s technology, new models are constantly being re-invented. It seems as though a new cell phone needs to be replaced almost every three months. Though our technology is remarkable, our media gives it drive and power over our society. The flashy marketing tricks and mind-boggling graphics, our media craze has mesmerized us.
Though this problem may seem inescapable, there can actually be several simple solutions. The keys to avoiding dangerous media pressures all begin at home. If we each look around and appreciate all that we already have, we may not be so prone to go out and grab the latest appliance. We live in the most plentiful country in the world; however, this reality is often times ignored. We can also begin to recycle and reuse more. If we stopped thoughtlessly throwing away everything we were tired of or didn’t want anymore, we would save resources, time, and money.
Though this problem may not seem currently evident, the near future appears gloomy. The media is doing its job, and doing it well. So well in fact that it has completely dictated our spending habits. Our over consumption is creating a build-up of waste and in turn a depletion of resources. Though this is serious, there are some simple solutions that can be put in place immediately. We have to remember that we share this Earth with six billion other people. If we continue on our rising trend toward over consumption driven by the media, we will surely be left with little resources we have left.