Materialism in Todays Society Essay - 1649 Words

Materialism in Todays 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 todays 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†¦show more content†¦They often draw in the consumers with a catchy commercial that contains a celebrity or model sporting their brand. This is a sure bet way to get the consumers? attention! Materialism in Today?s Society 4 Many celebrities promote products without that intention. This is because young people who idolize these famous stars want to wear what they wear.Therefore, this leads to free advertising for these corporations. One such group was the rap group Run-DMC. This group frequently wore the Adidas brand. They liked the brand so much that they wrote a song called ?My Adidas.? (Klein 456).This song led Adidas to become a very popular brand and people all over the United States started wearing the brand. Many people are brand ?hogs? and pursue what ever brand is in style. If a celebrity is wearing a new brand, it can be assured that at least one person will mimic them.This is especially true when the aspect comes to teens. Sharon Beder stated, ?In 2000 alone, teens spent $155 billion on things like clothing, CDs and makeup.? (Boston 2). In fact, the younger population has become so infatuated with celebrities that they have begun getting plastic surgery to try to look like their favorite celebrities. Two million young people had plastic surgery in 2003 alone (MTV, I Want a Famous Face). Since 1997, thereShow MoreRelatedMaterialism vs Happiness in America Essay1206 Words   |  5 Pages Western society has an obsession. It is a dark and crippling fixation. Many people do not even realize the trap society has lured them into. The procurement of material wealth has become an obsession in modern Western culture. The culture has become obsessed with acquiring vast amounts of wealth and anything associated with â€Å"being wealthy†. This need for material objects has intensified overtime. 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