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| "Untitled (I Shop Therefore I Am)" (1987) by Barbara Kruger |
Smarsh seems to agree about the dangers of worshiping the false idol of wealth, but she disagrees that the American people understood that material goods will not satisfy our longing for meaning.
It is common for people to deny that they value wealth, material gain, self-indulgence and consumption over other more traditionally virtuous goals.
But if you look at what people do as opposed to what they say, do you believe people today tend to value self-indulgence and consumption any more or less than previous generations of Americans have?
Is there anything about life today that makes the temptations of consumption and materialism less or more tempting than they were in the past?
I do believe that people today tend to value self-indulgence and consumption way more than previous generations. Social media, television, advertisements, and famous people are just some reasons why there is more temptation for consumption in America today. Over time I have seen more and more people start an online business because it is a quicker and easier way to purchase clothes and products. Also, teens and adults fantasize about being popular, and I have come to a conclusion that in today’s world everything is a competition. Additionally, many advertisements use ‘logos’ to persuade audiences to buy their products so they can stand out and “be like them.”
ReplyDeletePeople today still place a high importance on materials and consumption. People crave the newest and the next big thing. America is filled with people who have this need to seem cool and to fit in with what society says, this self indulgence is prevalent especially with social media. This makes people compare themselves with others to fill the need of being liked and cool.
ReplyDeleteI believe that, in today's world, our society does value self-indulgence and consumption more compared to previous years. When opening social media or watching television, people of all ages are targeted to prove themselves by purchasing or owning the next big thing, whether it be a new, more expensive phone or a fancier, more expensive vehicle. With the pressure of celebrities promoting items claiming that "Everyone is buying this!" our society is caught in a constant temptation to prove their worth/wealth by purchasing these items.
ReplyDeleteI believe people have always placed a high value on self-indulgence and consumption, but that value has definitely increased in the past few generations of Americans. While we may say we don't participate, or believe that we are "above it", most of us are more materialistic and self-centered than ever. Our phones add to the temptations we are already wired with, as they are filled with social media influencers, half naked men and women, filled with diet pills and silicone, posing in the most expensive clothes. We are on our phones more often than not, scrolling and liking, and wishing were more like them. Spending money we don't have, on things that we don't need, to give us the self-indulgence with desire, that won't last or bring us fulfillment.
ReplyDeleteWe have definitely changed as a whole. We place consumption and self-indulgence over morals that we used to hold dear. To simply get someone to buy your stuff all you have to say is that "Everyone is buying it, don't miss out," and they will buy it because they do not want to be the only one without it and to be looked down because of that. Materialistic things have become more and more important to people over the years. Social media has such a negative impact on us, we are constantly looking at all that other people have and wanting it so badly even when we already have more than enough for ourselves. We always want more.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to describe our society in one word that defined many of the people in it and the culture of it, it would not be "moral", "observant", or "thoughtful", it would be, without a doubt, "materialistic". You can't watch a single T.V. show without at least twenty different ads, all wanting you to BUY in some way. Speaking of T.V., if you don't have the biggest, thinnest, and most expensive one, you're crazy. But, ever since the 1980s, America has been like this. The 1980s was when the chart-topping song "Material Girl" was released, and it still heavily applies today. You can't open a single app like Instagram or Snapchat without being bombarded by "harmless" 5 second ads. The temptation of materialism has skyrocketed in the last decade; ads and shopping are not limited to just T.V.s and radio anymore. Like the one-click buy button on Amazon. Self-indulgence and self-obsession are the norm now. Nobody cares about other people anymore, and it's sad. Yes, they'll feel sorry when a news story comes out about some kid dying from poverty or gets killed, but nothing will ever get done. Nothing will change until people change.
ReplyDeleteoops this was Willow Vaughn
DeletePeople in todays culture are obsessed with money and all the things it can buy. Look at the world around us today. Everybody has a cell phone and can't wait for the newest one to come out. Generally we base popularity off of who has the most money. Have you ever noticed that? It's always the people with the newest clothes, coolest shoes, or nicest car that the world is love with. Materialism and consumerism is worse now because back then the farmers were worried about their everyday survival while we are worried about the newest thing we can get our hands on. They didn't care what Tiffany posted on Instagram. They didn't worry about how many friends they had on Facebook. They worried about what was important, which is life itself. People nowadays need to look back and remember what is truly important. Which is not money or other materialistic items, but the people that are alive and breathing in this world.
ReplyDeleteConsumer indulgence and a craving for the newest hot item is rising day by day in the United States. Social media has bred an unhealthy obsession with material items and brand names. "Clout chasing" is a prime example of the obsessive culture that has been created around "flexing" on other people through material items. These people prefer to spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on meaningless brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton just to get noticed on instagram. This lifestyle is okay for the few people who can afford it, but they're presenting an unrealistic standard for most of their followers. Without social media this never ending contest of who can flex the hardest would've ever been born. -Dixie Redman
ReplyDeleteI would say that the people of today are more focused on materialistic and self-indulgence than the past generations. Our world is significantly more connected and exposed a a vast array of things. You turn on the TV and see celebrities, you open an app on your phone and see people with fancy cars and flashing money, or you have friends that purchase expensive items and show them off. People need to be happy with what they have as it is because many people cannot even enjoy the luxury of a house, food, or even water.
ReplyDelete- Bo Thompson
I believe that self indulgence and consumption is more valued today than previous generations. As many others have expressed, I agree that social media plays a big part in this. As soon as we log on to social media we are faced with ads about materialistic things, or we see so many of our friends doing or buying these great things everyday. However, I kind of disagree with Smarsh’s point of view over people not understanding that material things will not satisfy their longing for meaning. I believe that some people do know this, but it does seem to be more common to meet someone who does believe that materialistic things will satisfy their longing for meaning.
ReplyDelete- Chasey Terry
The American people of today, as avaricious and materialistic as they may be, are certainly nowhere near as greedy and self-indulgent as the generations of the past. Let us take, for example, the generation that were young adults during the roaring 20's. That particular generation consumed so much and spent so needlessly that the greatest economic downturn in American history occurred because of them. A minor recession in the near future is plausible for us Americans of the 21st century, but that is sure to fix itself within a few years and is not in any way comparable to the Great Depression.
ReplyDeleteIf there is anything today that makes the temptations of consumption more or less tempting than they were in the past, it would probably be the widespread use of the internet and virtual media. Why buy the latest physical product when you can be entertained just as much if not more by your TV, video game console, or phone? These three items and their accompanying subscriptions are all the American of today needs to feel entertained. Previous generations might have bought fancy cars, gone out on the town every night, shopped every weekend, and so on.
I really like your perspective of generations before being more greedy and self-indulgent. I did not think of the roaring 20's, which is really interesting to think about. Thinking about that, I agree that that generation was very self-indulgent.
DeletePersonally, I believe that everyone and every generation is materialistic greedy and self-indulgent in their own way. When you compare past generations to this generation the type of needs and wants are different. One can say that acquiring our needs and wants is similar because everything always has required money or something of value to be obtained. Almost everyone now is focused on buying the newest electronic device whereas in the past the focus was on someone having the best land or something that they could show off. Being materialistic and greedy is not something new that people of today only face. They have always been around just shown in different ways. Some people face them more often than others do but they will always play a role in society
ReplyDeleteI’ve always hated conversations sparked by a generalization about “this generation”. It seems unfair to the diversity of our people to characterize them solely as mindless, materialistic sheep. If anything, I would say that this consumption-driven mindset was much more applicable during the time that Carter spoke about it - not because we’re less of a consumer society at present, but because we’ve stopped believing the notion that we’re supposed to have every new thing that’s presented to us. Sure, there are exceptions, but from my vantage point the people of 2019 have far too many options at hand to be called a mindless consumer. The wide range of tools and products that we have at our fingertips gives us the option to be educated and decisive about the things we need and want. Take the “zero waste” movement for example. People across the globe are beginning to choose environmentally conscious products for everyday use because they understand the toll that harmful plastics take on our environment. We may not be consuming less, but we’re beginning to consume in a smarter way.
ReplyDeleteThese are all excellent points and I am glad you brought them up. I also believe that we are consuming in a smarter way due to good will shopping and up-cycling clothing, furniture, and other household items. I have also noticed more teens and young adults searching for sales or looking at the discount section at stores. Have you noticed a trend in people boasting about how little they spent on an item rather than how expensive it was?
DeleteThis is a hard question to breakdown. In my own personal experience, people today say they care less about material gain compared to that of say The Greatest Generation. The Greatest Generation grew up during the Great Depression, and know what it is like to not have anything, clinging on to what they had. They passed down the importance of money and gain, hoping for a better life for their children. People in my generation definitely say they value material gain less, but I do not think their actions agree. With the influence of social media and the internet in general, it is easy to see not only what brands are "in" but also who has them. Secretly, I believe most of our generation values self indulgence more than they let on. This may not mean we value self indulgence more than other generations, but it does mean we have a better opportunity to indulge compared to past generations.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, people today are much more conscious of their indulgent buying, especially today’s younger generations, who have pioneered movements such as minimalism and tiny house/van living. For the last several decades, there has been nonstop talk of the increasingly unstable economy which threatens each new generation with rising housing costs and less job opportunities. I think this is the chief concern that has caused a decline in our value of consumption.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that we live in a more materialistic society then compared to the late 1900s. For instance, look at the mass rush we witness when the newest Iphone,shoe,appliance etc. You see people flood the market, whether digital or physical, often times disregarding their safety or the safety of others just to obtain a product that truly won't fulfill them in the end. So yes I would think that we are worse now then we have ever been in regards to self-indulgence and consumption. However it would seem as though it is driven by the desire to fit into society because we as Americans value our self image above most everything. So if we have all the newest products then we can make it look like we have our life together because we can self indulge on all these things. We as a country need to look at what really matters, is it having all we want or is shifting our focus to letting how we have been blessed through careers,family, health etc. and blessing people who aren't as fortunate.
ReplyDeleteI believe that on the whole, people do not value it any more today than they did say thirty years ago. That is not to say that we do not value materialistic things at healthy level. I think that people back then did not have the ability to self-indulge near as much as we do. What with advances in technology and advertisements we are trained to see these items and want them. Through sites such as eBay and Amazon we are able to purchase these goods that we do not need. In the book travel was discussed for going to town for a single thing. Today we have the capability to order what we want from Walmart and they will run it out to you, just so that you can save fifteen or thirty minutes by not going inside. So no, I do not believe that we value such frivolous things more than our predecessors. We just have the opportunity to acquire such items easier and at less risk to ourselves, or so we are lead to believe.
ReplyDeleteled*
DeleteWe most definitely live in a materialistic society. Everyone wants what they don't have. It has always been this way, through many generations. Though i do believe that we take more things for granted than previous generations. Somethings are just easier to come by now so we don't give it much of a second thought. The reason that we are more materialistic now a days is because of social media. We are exposed to other peoples lives much more frequently, and at a more personal level. We see that some people do have a lot more than we have. Social media doesn't portray life in an accurate way. We see them laughing and smiling. They seem like they are having the times of their life. We see how happy they look and we associate it with happiness. We want what they have. SO it does make us more materialistic. We want what we don't have, and we are exposed to so many luxury lifestyles of celebrities. So yes, we are more materialistic, even if we don't notice it.
ReplyDelete-Mary Chambless
I believe society is much more materialistic then in past generations. We value possessions and money more now days. Social media and the internet has contributed largely to this change. With the touch of a button you can search anything on the internet. You can search many wealthy people and lust over their possessions from almost anywhere. Past generations did not have such easy access to see others possessions. They did not want what others had because they did not know what others had.
ReplyDeleteI believe that today's generation values self-indulgence and consumption a lot more than previous generations did. I believe that social media has been a big factor in this generation becoming more materialistic. You can look on social media and see famous people, social media influencers, and wealthy people showing off what they own and more people start wanting what these people are showing off so they can be more like them since they admire them and what they own. Previous generations didn't have social media like this generation and didn't crave the materialistic things like this generation does.
ReplyDelete-Aimee Wood
People in today's America value self-indulgence and materialism more than any generation in the past. This is due to the explosion of social media and a global mindset that people have adopted in recent years. Everyone in modern America is, to some degree, playing a comparison game where one will constantly try to outdo their neighbor. People will drain their life savings on remaining "socially dominant" by increasing and upgrading their material possessions. I myself included.
ReplyDelete^Caden Manuel
ReplyDeleteGenerations after generations of Americans have an increasing value on materialistic goods. With the rise of automation and technology, more and more Americans have been able to purchase more goods than previous generations. By living in a Capitalistic society the value of non-purchasable things, such as beliefs, are not considered of any value. The Capitalistic society thrives off others spending money, on necessities, but also on the wants and desires of people trying to better their life with things.
ReplyDeleteWhile I completely agree with you. I am curious what your response to movements such as Marie Kondo's declutter method and the minimalist style. It seems as though those trends go against the entire idea / value / belief of consumerism.
DeleteI believe that our tendency to satisfy ourselves has stayed pretty steady throughout time but grown with the rise of technology. I believe that as technology has come into our lives from radios to tvs, to now mobile phones and advanced gaming systems, we can see a steeper curve for materialism. From the actions in my generation, we tend to value things that will make us look “cool” to other people, such as a brand new car or phone. However, I grew up very blessed and around a lot of people in the same situation, which meant kids tried to be popular with a fancy car and expensive clothes. Therefore, in my experience the things you wear, drive, and use make an impression to others around you might be skewed. However, both of my parents grew up poor and were also in public school through highschool as a comparison. My mother has told me stories about things they would do to keep up appearances for her and her sisters sake to fit in, but also keep costs low. The highest fashion is something we take for class even though it takes money to buy those things. I think as a whole, we take a lot of pride in what others have, and do not look at things that are not tangible. Appearing wealthy is a big deal and especially in a young generation that is insecure. School is a jungle, with multiple levels of wealth throughout, and sometimes the person with the newest, nicest, and most expensive things has the most confidence. This just leads to a place of bullying from insecurities the stuff can not cover up. The internet has caused a noticeable spike in the judgement of what others have that we would have been blind to before. Celebrities and other forms of influence that we see impact my generation and the next behind us due to a large internet surge. These people create an image we see that previous generations were not as exposed to, such as the video game streamer or personal vlog from an actor. A young kid now, is more likely to be made fun of or even have less friend interaction without an electronic like an xbox. Social interaction over a game platform, especially in a rural setting, can be a reason someone even talks to another kid outside of school. Overall, society has always valued items because everyone has strived to be wealthy and have more than the person next to you. However, with the rise of screens and the things we see more often, we are more mindful of what is around us and how much things others are perceived to have.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that in our society, consumerism and self-indulgence are not only more prominent, but also more encouraged than in previous generations. Information, products, and ideas are constantly at the tips of our fingers. It has become so easy and readily available to access just about anything you want: one swipe of a card, one click on a link. Americans are so used to the idea that the pursuit and, eventually, the attainment of material goods will fulfill us. Materialism is, quite honestly, the mindset of the majority of society.
I do believe that people are often caught up with the need for comfort and material items. When I can look to both sides of me and see the latest phones or apple watches, it seems apparent. Even in my life, I hate getting rid of things I do not need. This is why Marie Kondo’s method for decluttering seems to work. People know they have too much stuff, but do not know how to live without it. I do not know who, but I read somewhere that a philosopher encouraged people to go without comfort occasionally, such as sleeping on the ground or in the outdoors without a tent. This may be extreme, but many do this by going without their phones for a period of time. Even with these motivating ways to avoid the accumulation of material objects, with the instant gratification of the internet and travel, it seems harder than ever to not get sucked into the need for material items.
ReplyDeleteI believe that self-indulgence and consumption play a major role in our modern lives. I firmly believe that self-indulgence is probably of more importance now than it ever has been before. Factors like social media and the things we see on the television shape the masses minds into believing that we need certain items to be happy. You might have an iPhone, but if it’s not the newest one available then your friends might make fun of you. In modern times there is a constant pressure to possess the nicest and newest things available. I find it hard to believe that these problems could have been anywhere near as profound in past years.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe people today, especially in the United States, tend to value self-indulgence and consumption more than previous generations. As Americans, generally we would rather relax and have rewards handed to us than to work hard and earn them. Our culture has made us very susceptible to this mentality, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some many things in our lives provide instant gratification without putting in much effort. This makes achieving traditional goals much harder to accomplish. Sarah Smarsh’s family worked extremely hard while farming, building houses, waiting tables, etc. and saw very little monetary gain from it. This can be very disheartening to many who have a goal or dream of working in a field similar to those that Smarsh’s relatives worked in. However, it must be remembered that while every job may not provide greatly towards your bank account, working hard and cherishing what you have is worth it.
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ReplyDeleteI think that the older generation of American people have always been obsessed with the idea of indulgence and luxury. At least, I feel like we as the younger generation have scorned our societal elders for ruining our planet with carbon emissions and general carelessness. Not only are we obsessed with indulgence, we are obsessed with convenience. What better way to treat ourselves than to make our lives a little easier by using a disposable cup, so that we don't have to worry about cleaning up after ourselves later? Indulgence and luxury are ideas that have been ingrained into American society that arise from selfishness. For me, indulgence like this is off-putting, as we only have one planet that we have to sustain, and frivolity and apathy are gloomy harbingers of what is to come for our climate.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, it seems as if wealth is the main source for motivation. Of course we want to be happy but what makes us happy? We need wealth to be able to fund our everyday needs. Financial security is always sought after because we want to be able to live our lives without worrying about our typical daytoday wants. Also, finding an item that we want provides motivation for gaining what is required to purchase it. Rather it be a cheap or expensive item, we or given happiness when finally buy that goal item. Think about nowadays specifically though. We are constantly feeling as if we have to compare our “material gain” with those around us. With social media playing such a basic role in society, and so many posting about what they have purchased it is hard not to want to want what others have.
ReplyDeleteI would say Americans today definitely value self-indulgence and consumption more than previous generations. So much more to the point that we abuse them and in turn are hurting ourselves in some way. Materialistic things like cars and cellular devices have improved and evolved due to this fact. Although these inventions are quite impressive and handy, we do not seem to ever be satisfied with the product for very long, resulting in a new model being designed and produced. Sadly, no matter the price attached, whether we can afford it or not, the cost of it is usually respected, and most times than not, said product would be obtained if possible. Not because we necessarily need it, but because owning one (knowing that you are up to date) is satisfactory. Apple phones, for example, are designed to become obsolete with each generation created, however, if this were not the case, and the phones were still completely functional and able to perform all of the necessary tasks of a cell phone, persons are still very likely to want to purchase the latest generation because of the new features, but to put it simply, everyone wants to stay up to date.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with the development of the media over the years, advertising pushing for us to self-indulge is even more abundant than back then.