The Role Consumerism Plays in Modern Day American Society

Consumerism plays a significant role in modern day American society. We have an almost inherent need to establish happiness based upon our purchases and assets. The American middle class is a segment of consumer that many companies seek to court. The relatively moderate to high level of disposable income and purchasing ability in this particular demographic is hard fought for by companies. This leads the notion that companies are vying for their products and goods to be purchased and establish brand loyalties in highly competitive market industries. Markets ranging from general retail stores, car manufacturers, airlines, clothing, energy services, and even healthcare markets must compete for consumer business. With the current challenging economic climate, retailers and companies have had to adapt to significant challenges with rather non-conventional methods. Other than cleaver marketing campaigns and catchy commercials; there are several new methodologies that industries are utilizing to attract consumer interests. With the ever increasing force of technological change and adaptation we are seeing a dramatic shift in the way empirical data is being utilized as a means of targeting consumer interests relative to a sales growth and revenues. In direct response to this companies and industries have began to use a highly specific and somewhat intrusive method of obtaining data on consumers. The somewhat elusive and controversial practice of data mining is becomingShow MoreRelatedEssay on Criticisms of Consumerism and Materialism in Fight Club1134 Words   |  5 Pagestrying to meet society’s consumerist criteria; seeking the false promise of the American dream. This is the reality presented in Fincher’s Fight Club (1999), one of â€Å"the rawest, most hot-blooded, provocatively audacious, dangerous movies to come of out Hollywood† (Morris, 1999). Through the diverging personalities of the films central characters, Fincher provides a satirical analysis and powerful criticism of consumerism, â€Å"echoing countless social critics who bemoan the emasculating effects of consumerRead MoreHow Music Has Influenced The World980 Words   |  4 Pages American culture has influenced the world over the last few centuries. Each day we visually perceive how the diversity of music impacts our day to day life. Music has played a consequential role in the devel opment of how diverse America is today. From the Charleston to the Duggie, music has evolved over countless years. The 1970s music industry transitioned the rebelliousness of the 1960s to the jubilant musical compositions of the 1980s. The American recording industry in the 1970s was a coalescenceRead MoreConsumerism in Post World War II Essay1479 Words   |  6 PagesConsumerism in Post World War II After WWII why did the economy prosper and what role did consumerism play in the 1950s? After WWII many economists predicted a recession in the American economy. It is easy to do so when at the peak of post war unemployment in March 1946 2.7 million searched for work. In 1945 people were laid off from their jobs. However, â€Å" in 1945 the US entered one of its longest, steadiest, periods of growth and prosperity† (Norton 829). How could this be? WithRead MoreMarketing Apple Fanatics : Self Identity1307 Words   |  6 PagesAs a company, Apple is known throughout the globe for more than their high-quality and revolutionary products; Apple is a household name because of the publicity surrounding their devoted fans. These fans camp outside Apple Stores days before a product is released, sometimes just to preorder the product. They eat, sleep, and breathe Apple, earning them the name iSheep. Fans of other brands lack the same publicity, but they maintain the same level of devotion. Many people exclusively wear Nike orRead MoreThe Invasion of Consumerism into the lives of a Post-Modern Family 1762 Words   |  8 PagesThe Invasion of Consumerism into the lives of a Post-Modern Family Consumerism is taking place everywhere. Whether we like it or not, it has come to invade our everyday modern lives. Steven Miles, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Plymouth says How we consume, why we consume, and the parameters laid down for us within which we consume have become increasingly significant influences on how we construct our everyday lives (1). Consumerism has even gotten to the point of affectingRead MoreConsumerism : A Social And Economic Order Within America Propelled Essay1777 Words   |  8 Pagesthey make significant and abiding social change. A social and economic order within America propelled, perhaps unconsciously, by the people, is consumerism. Originating in the nineteenth century, consumerism revolutionized the way individuals thought, behaved, and interacted with each other. Coming into full bloom during the Industrial Revolution, consumerism fueled a new desire for material goods, unnecessary for and unrelated to basic survival. The idea for mass production, a cheaper and more profitableRead More Movie Review: Fight Club Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesFight Club shakes the foundations of our democratic nation, spits on our capitalist society, and makes all who watch it look at the American way of life differently. In a country driven by consumption, one can imagine the movie Fight Club rubs certain people the wrong way. When Edward Norton was asked why he decided to take the role as the main character in Fight Club, he replied, â€Å"to piss off America.† Each American since childhood has been told repeatedly that democracy equals freedom, but is thisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Native American Headdresses Facts For Kids 1476 Words   |  6 PagesOutfitters According to the article â€Å"Native American Headdresses Facts for Kids†, 18th and 19th century Plain Indians (Native Americans who resided on the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) introduced the world to the Feathered war bonnet as a way to place honor and respect among the men who demonstrated bravery and valor. The article explains that during the time, Plain Native American tribes sought to see the eagle as the greatest and best bird amongst all birds;Read MoreEssay about 1920s in The Great Gatsby1008 Words   |  5 PagesFitzgerald is both a representation of this distinctive social and historical context, and a construction of the composer’s experience of this era. Beliefs and practises of the present also play a crucial role in shaping the text, in particular changing the way in which literary techniques are interpreted. The present-day responder is powerfully influenced by their personal experiences, some of which essentially strengthen Fitzge rald’s themes, while others compete, establishing contemporary interpretationsRead MoreConsumerism As An Engine Of Change3258 Words   |  14 Pages2014 Mercedes S-Class: Consumerism as an Ideology and an Engine of Change In no century did consumerism play a larger role than the twentieth century. How Americans spent their money affected the nation, and how the nation reacted affected the consumer. This established an incredibly cyclical, yet dynamic environment with long term implications. John Lucaks starts his book, A Short History of the Twentieth Century, by writing that the twentieth century was the American century (3). Gary Cross