Automatic doors, motorized windows, credit cards, fast food, and cell phones are just a glimpse of the numerous inventions our culture has developed to bring us more convenience. However, it has not always been this way. In the 1950’s if you owned a television or a car you were probably considered very lucky and envied by everyone on the block. Though today, it is not uncommon to find three or more cars to one household with a television in almost every room. We are currently living in a fast-paced culture that we seem to be out of breath most of the time just running from place to place. Our obsession with convenience has a direct correlation with the amount we consume. As we continuously advance our convenience items, we are constantly replacing the old with the new. This generates an excess amount of accumulating waste we are rapidly running out of room for.
“Happiness can't be purchased in the marketplace, no matter how much advertising tries to convince you of it. Market driven forces have usurped the role once assumed by family, home and community. We have been programmed to believe that we should pursue more money to spend on more things offered in the marketplace, to be living mannequins for the material adornments of the hour, our worth determined by what we have or don't have, rather than what we are, what we do or what we know”(Overcoming Consumerism). Our society has become used to the invasion of advertising in the form of television or the substantial heap of weekly ads found in the Sunday newspaper. We do not even think twice about these signs anymore because we have become so accustom to them.
Wal-mart may be considered the epitome of our increased production, convenience, and consumption levels. Wal-mart is one of the largest corporations in America, and is working its way to become a global superpower. This retailer operates over 2700 stores across North America, and provides many jobs to our workforce. The chilling notion that a new Wal-mart opens every three days, shows it has a huge impact on our economy and society. “Global Insight estimated that Wal-Mart’s low prices saved consumers $263 billion in 2004, or about $895 per person. But other studies suggested those savings came at a cost”(Boston 336).
“Always low prices, always” is the infamous slogan that can be recognized as Wal-mart’s advertising campaign by any American. However, Wal-mart keeps prices low only as long as it has to. Once the consumers become lured in by one-stop shopping and cheap prices, local community stores are driven out. As the local competition begins to decline Wal-mart prices in turn, begin to rise. Now knowing this, it is ironic that the slogan above was recently banned from use by a U.S. advertising association because it was deemed misleading. Maybe it should have read, “Always low prices, until the competition is driven out”. Unfortunately, Wal-mart is not the only corporation responsible for using catchy yet misleading promotions to entice consumers.
“What time is left after work is often devoured by television, basically a series of ever-more mediocre filler programs inserted between ever-more-spectacular commercials whose purpose is to stoke further desire for more things”(Overcoming Consumerism). The number of advertisements American teenagers are typically exposed to by the time they graduate from high school is 360,000. The amount of time the average American will spend watching TV commercials equals one entire year of his or her life. These staggering statistics are the first step in evaluating our over-consumption crisis. For example, corporations such as
McDonald’s, Wal-mart, and Pepsi can all be held accountable for this. Advertisements are meant to be persuasive and able to change our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. The way in which our media industry portrays products, achieves this persuasive goal and drives consumption levels up.
One can only feel brainwashed or mesmerized by the bombardment of this mass and sometimes misleading advertising. “Buy one get one free, super-size and save, buy now and pay later” are all marketing gimmicks used to draw the crowd. As Americans, we are always looking for a good deal. When the media floods our heads with slogans like these, it is no wonder our consumption levels have sky-rocketed. However some serious problems such as destroyed ecosystems, psychological problems, and even obesity levels can arise from these trends.
Our culture has a fixed image of what the American Dream should look like. This is perceived as the ultimate lifestyle Americans should strive to attain. It seems that our culture is no longer happy with living their own unique lives, and instead aspires to reach the “good life” as portrayed by the media. This lifestyle essentially equates to the more things you possess, the happier you will be. Though most times Americans fail in achieving this intangible goal, and only is it too late that they realize money does not buy happiness. This idea shows the direct connection between our advertising schemes and mounting consumerism. The American Dream could possibly be a nightmare for our society.