Consumerism Childhood and Consumer Goods Essay - 1753 Words

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 usuall y 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 prid e (Walsh, 1990).This is why the mass 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 singleShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"Disney Constructs Childhood so as to Make It Entirely Compatible with Consumerism1617 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Disney constructs childhood so as to make it entirely compatible with consumerism† (Smoodin cited in Giroux, 2002; 105). Discuss this statement in relation to TWO animated films from the Disney canon. The Walt Disney Company is a diversified international entertainment company (Disney, 2010) with ownership of many media outlets including radio, cinema, television and literature as well as consumer products such as stationary and toys. The Disney brand has huge recognition globally especiallyRead MoreThe Impact Of Consumerism939 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Dictionary.com, consumerism is defined as â€Å"the concept that an ever-expanding consumption of goods is advantageous to the economy.† Basically, this definition boils down to people getting more people to buy more products is a good thing. However, things aren’t always as they seem. In order to get people to be interested in your product, there is lots of advertisement involved and this of course costs money. Unfortunately, with lots of advertisements, they may not tell the whole truthRead MoreConsumer Culture And Contemporary Childhood Agency888 Words   |  4 Pagesrelationships of production and consum ption. By introducing children as consumers, it is opens up a wide range of areas to study their influence on consumer culture. It is evident through the child’s relationship with their parents, money, identity, and social relations that children have a crucial role in consumption patterns. New marketing and advertising techniques have been introduced accordingly, further emerging the child consumer and their influence on the economy. The child’s relationship withRead MoreConsuming Kids : The Commercialization Of Childhood850 Words   |  4 PagesCommercialization of Childhood† takes a closer look at how the negative impact advertising and marketing is having on the children who are the main targeted audience especially because they are easy to manipulate. The United States is a country that cares a lot about consumers. People are around advertisement and marketing all the time in every place they go. In fact, people live to buy, people need and want things con stantly and it will never stop. In the American economy consumerism may be a leadingRead MoreThe Deterioration of Childhood Innocence Due to Media and Consumerism 1708 Words   |  7 Pagessaid Neil Postman in his novel: The Disappearance of Childhood. In recent generations, the ideal of childhood innocence has been disappearing due to several factors of modernization. But the innocence of youth needs to be protected so children will learn and grow in healthy ways, rather than rush into adulthood. It is a grown-ups’ responsibility to build a metaphorical wall between a child’s innocence and various types of media and consumerism. Although it is becoming increasingly difficult due toRead MoreConsumer Consumption Essay1316 Words   |  6 Pagesculture 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 t heir 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 socialisticRead MoreThe Effects Of Advertising On Children s Physical And Mental Health1531 Words   |  7 Pagescertain consumer behavior which can result in negative impacts on children’s physical and mental health. Marketing directly to children is a factor in the childhood obesity epidemic, it also encourages eating disorders, previous sexuality, youth violence and family stress and contributes to children’s diminished capability to play creatively. Marketing children is a huge business because they are an easy target. In the following articles I will talk about how there is different types of consumers throughRead MoreGatby In The Great Gatsby Analysis1329 Words   |  6 Pagesmore of this figure, to discover his inner world and complexed characteristics. I want to explain the film and theThe film can explain American society in three aspects: Individual freedom and independentsindependence, stable social class, and the consumerism or (material wealth) . *Individual, independent Gatsby came from a poor family, but he was unwilling to live in this way. With ambitious ideals and dedication, he pursued the idea of becoming wealthy and gaining prominence one day. Gatsby did notRead MoreMe Against the Media2375 Words   |  10 Pages† The few students who have actually done the reading chuckle because they know that today’s class is about the pervasiveness of consumerism in popular culture and in the schools. Over the years, I’ve resorted to lots of gimmicks like these in my quest to teach students about consumerism. I try to make my students more aware of how the media naturalize consumerism through advertisements, product placement, and especially through advertiser-friendly programming. You might be surprised to hearRead MoreThe Disappearance Of Childhood By Neil Postman944 Words   |  4 PagesEven though childhood has change for the better there is an argument stating that childhood is disappearing â€Å"at a dazzling speed† (Postman, 1996) says that there is a closing gap between childhood and adulthood. Neil Postman (1996) claims this in his book â€Å"The Disappearance of Childhood†. Postman theory was purely based on the way that communications through technology were made which shapes society today. He thinks that due to the technology such as television and the Internet children nowadays