Materialism in Todays Society Essay -- Consumerism America Capitalism

Materialism in Today's Society Have you ever sat down and really thought about how much you value your possessions? Do you value your belongings more than you value friends, family, love, or yourself? The truth is that obsession with possessions has become a way of life in today's society. Materialism has been defined as the theory or doctrine that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life. (Heritage Dictionary, 3rd ed.) This means that we look to possessions to bring us happiness. We then use these possessions to make things and people behave or respond the way we desire. We have become so successful at fabricating and manipulating the world that we have come to believe that altering our surroundings is the way to solve all of our problems. We go through life contemplating that inner well-being depends on what we have or do. Due to these assumptions, materialism now carries the status that people?s religion, occupations, and bloodlines used to carry (Twitchell 1999). We identify ourselves and others by what we wear, what we have, and what brands we sport. Our unrestrained consumption ascends the unlimited number of goods and merchandise available (Twitchell 1999). As the quantity and variety of products grow Materialism in Today?s Society 3 larger, so does the demand for these products, thus resulting in mass branding. A brand is a product name or logo, that when consumers become familiar with, immediately brings to mind a specific product or service (Pavitt 5).We, as humans, want to fit in so we wear and use certain brand names because of the status we gain from them. Everywhere we look, there are dozens of newspapers, magazines, billboards, and televis... ...e. Materialism has been found to help us deal with life and problems and help us escape from all the issues of the real world? Just like a drug, material objects, luxury, and all the finer things bring us happiness and fulfillment. This is why I have come to believe that materialism has become more of a way of life for people in today?s society. References Boston, Gabriella (2003). Designed to Fit In; Teen Fashion Defined by Peer Pressure. (The Washington Times, D01). Bothelo, Greg (2002). The Brand Name Game. (CNN New York, Dec. 05, 2005). Pavitt, Jane. Brand. New. (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000). Russel, Peter (2000). Waking Up in Time, Materialism- An Addictive Meme. Kulman, Linda (2000) Our Consuming Interest. (U.S. News and World Report, 2000). Plasticsurgeryresearch.info. Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Research. (2002-2003).