Consumerism, Thesis Paper Example

Introduction

It is a mall world, where every producer works hard toward winning as many customers as possible. Sellers market their products to the public on a 24 hours a day stream, through the radio, television, film, and now online, specifically through social media. There isn’t a waking moment of any daily life that isn’t bombarded  they can go throughout their day communicating witemploy the use of all ways and means to convince the buyers that they need that particular product. The resulting scenario after all the efforts is consumerism- the advocacy and the socio-cultural way of life, where producers and suppliers encourage consumption, whereas the need of a particular product or service ought to encourage and enhance consumption.

Methods producers and suppliers employ to encourage consumption

The “trapping” method

We take a closer look of the ways or rather tricks that sellers use to win customers, Noreen Janus article, cloning the consumer culture explains it exclusively. The international market has taken it all over to sell off the western culture. In her article, she says, “No one can travel to Africa, Asia, or Latin America and not be struck by the Western elements of urban life. The trappings of transnational culture-automobiles, advertising, supermarkets, shopping centers, hotels, fast food chains, credit cards, and Hollywood movies-give the feeling of being at home (1).”  Her use of the word ‘trapping’ to describe western consumer culture depicts it as something much more than a way of life, but as a way of capture, as it grabs hold of global attention span and molds 1. The western elements of urban life spread all over the world- in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and any other place one can think of. Whatever one needs, may it be food, clothing, luxurious stuff and everything else is found in the twinkle of an eye. The strategy of “trapping” every other consumer by availing products at all corners- supermarkets, shopping centers, hotels, and fast food joints among other trapping zones.

The modern malls technique

There are the modern malls that act a major role in being the heart of consumerism as Mac Margolis puts it. In fact, newer malls have developed another culture of boasting scripture gardens, murals, and gentle lighting spaces instead of the walled supermarkets. This is just but a strategy to win consumerism of those customers who would find it fun to shop in open spaces. The shopping malls have really cloned the consumer culture. The fact that these malls are mostly constructed by U.S. contractors and then established in lands overseas is even more telling about the expansive nature of Western consumerism.

The advertisement technique

The global culture through use of technology marks the second approach producers use to influence buyers to purchase their products. Advertisement is the order of the day. Advertisement works towards expressing the ideology of consumption. It could be in a synthetic or visual form while focusing on the target group of consumers. Communication Medias as movies, television shows, radio, newspapers, posters, billboards, magazines, and via the internet are majorly used (Sanders 69). From this angle of approach, there is absolutely no one who will miss to obtain the required information. On top of that, there is the other trick of involving the celebrities in performing the adverts. After all, who would not want to purchase a product associated with a celebrity? The product will not only gain a publicly figure, but its level of sales are more likely to have double or even triple sales.

Effects of consumerism

Reduced power and capability to save

Taking a critical reflection of the effect of consumerism, then the negative effects would definitely outweigh the positives. First, consumerism reduces the power to save for the future, or for any other investments. Such person’s ends up living a life of hand to mouth regardless of the enormous amount of income they make. They end up being spendthrifts. This results in a lifestyle of living in debt, or living beyond one’s means.

Sense of oppression for the low income earners

It is a fact that everyone has a right to shop; however, there are those who even do not have what to spend. It may sound funny that contrasts occur from both ends of the rich and the poor. While somebody somewhere will die out of hunger, somebody else will be dying out of lifestyle diseases as obesity. What should be the solution to this class differences?  In Louisa Lim’s article, there is the description of the wealthy people- the rich, supreme, luxurious, and the high-class persons.  She talks about Beijing’s censorship of words like luxury noting that, “In China, certain words -like “Tiananmen Square’.’ and “democracy” – have been politically sensitive for decades. But that list seems to be growing ever longer. Now, words like “regal” and “luxury” have fallen foul of political correctness, and are being removed from billboards in the Chinese capital, Beijing (Louisa, 60).” The rich have money to “burn” while the poor can barely afford a basic meal. A social contrast expresses itself in a scenario where a wealthy man spends $450 on buying a Gucci belt, yet a construction worker views it as wastage of money. Upon asking whether banning certain words would change his shopping habits, the rich scoffs that those supposed to be rich are rich, and those meant to be poor are poor. He associates the poor with laziness, in that they do not work harder. In this case, consumerism reflects an absurd exercise that oppresses the less fortunate.

Sense of social injustice

Advertising, as said earlier is the order of the day, where, through all ways and means, the advert reaches the required audience. Taking an example of the TV, this shows all the beautiful things in the world. Noreen Janus equates the family to a kid in a candy shop, who wants everything. It happens that the TV will always show the wealthy while driving, shopping, and doing all sort of good stuff constituting of consumerism. The poor man features nowhere, and thus advertisement plays a role in bringing in social injustice. With the television being the key media of communication, it plays a role in shaping values, attitudes, and lifestyles and consumerism. Louisa Lim describes the haves and the have-nots. He describes a very offsetting scene of an advertisement that sought to pass on the information that wealth is dignity. This is an advert that upset the low-income earners, as it passed on the information that they are not dignified. With all factors considered, the low-income earners ought to embrace the fact that not all people can ever be equal in terms of living standards and social class. The best favor people can do to themselves is to accept who they are, own or purchase what they can afford, and live their life.

Consummations and its relation to children obesity

Brooks Barnes is one of the few people who have a concern with the nutrition matters. It happens that the television, radio, and websites advertise products with their target customers being the children. The Walt Disney group feel obligated as adverts extend to the Saturday morning cartoons on their ABC stations. They have taken a role of addressing the concern about entertainment and its relation to obesity (Miles 28). They enforced restrictions that children-focused adverts must comply with a new set of nutritional standards. Strict regulations have it that Products as Capri Sun Drinks, snacks, candy, sugared cereals, and other fast foods are no longer acceptable advertising material.

Relationship between consumerism, nation’s political and social culture

In one way or another, consumerism, nation’s political and social culture are so much related. Shopping itself is a social activity, as per Margolis. It is something that has happened since time memorial, and it will always happen. In his article titled, “It’s a Mall World After All” Mac Margolis notes that “When the Los Angeles firm Altoon + Porter Architects set out to design a shopping arcade in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a few years ago, it faced a delicate mission: to raise a glitzy pleasure dome full of Western temptations in the maw of fundamentalist Islam.” The core theme of Margolis’s article is that Western Culture imposes its will, without any genuine regard for the consumer’s actual needs. He says that, it turns out that people have little power to express their needs, thus upon dissatisfaction of one product, they swipe to another. This further increases their consumption and consumerism. Therefore, a strong link exists between the growing consumerism and national political and social culture.

Approaches to combat consumerism

Individual approaches

With the acknowledgement of consumerism effects globally, individuals have been trying to put in place measures to counter them. In this regard, there is the urge for individuals to wary of the products and services they consume. They should consider the source and content. It is significant that society considers and incorporates consumption ideologies, which are consumer friendly. Inclusive of these is the ability to reduce the objects of consumption, reuse the ones may have already used, recycling products through other uses and rejecting what is not consumable and market worthy. This involves incorporating in lives what is worthy and consistently rebelling against the unworthy.

Corporate approaches

Corporate and movements have been instrumental in enabling legitimate consumer care through implementation of consumer policies. Corporate have put in place regulations, which strive to protect the consumer against harm caused by the goods and services assessed. It has set standards, put in place guidelines, and prescribed limits for marketing and consumption (Miles 70).

Government approaches

The government has also put in place measures to counter these effects both nationally and internationally. The government has instituted bans on poisonous and the unhealthy foodstuffs available for consumption within its territory. It has also regulated the advertisements of some kinds of products and services, which deems that it should control (Miles 56). The governments seeks that all products within its jurisdiction be labeled for its contents and quantity ascertainment by the control bodies before released to the market.

Conclusion

In sum, consumerism is a substantial issue that affects all corners of life. It affects the power to save and invest, contributes to lifestyle diseases, and oppresses the less fortunate. Generally, consumerism is a phenomenon that warrants control to monitor its effects. Consumerism is what keeps the economy thriving and ultimately fuels globalization. The problem is consumer culture in many ways can be more destructive than self sufficient.

 Works Cited

Barnes, Brooks. “Promoting Nutrition, Disney to Restrict Junk-Food Ads.” New York Times. (2012): n. page. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.

Janus, Noreene. “Cloning the Consumer Culture.” Center for Media Literacy. Center For Media Literacy, 1986. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/cloning-consumer-culture>.

Lim, Louisa. “In Beijing, Even Luxury Billboards are Censored.” National Public Radio. (2011): n. page. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://www.npr.orgi20/>.

Margolis, Mac. “It’s a Mall World after all.” Newsweek International. (2005): n. page. Web. 28 Oct. 2012

Miles, Stephen. Consumerism and its effects on Social Culture. Boston, Boston University Press, 2011.

Sanders, Bill. Effects of Consumerism. Chicago, Chicago Tribune, 2002.