A 'Mallcondo" Culture

Materialism seems to now be a central characteristic of modern life. Even the rest of the world is calling America a nation of consumers, and they are right. "The average American consumes twice as many goods and services as in 1950 (389)". That being said, two things are certain; Materialism in today’s culture is rapidly growing, and Americans love their 'things'.

As Twitchell states in his article, materialism may be the most shallow of the 20th century's various -isms (389). The article tells us how our commercial culture has been blamed for the rise of eating disorders, the epidemic of depression, the carnivalization of holy times like Christmas, and short attention span of our youth (390). This is clearly evident in today’s culture. These days, it seems like the corporate market is more focused about making profit during the holidays then ever. Did you ever notice how it seems like almost every grocery store or department store tends to somewhat overlook Thanksgiving and display all of its Christmas merchandise a week after Halloween!? Rather than acknowledging Thanksgiving, the corporate world skips straight to Christmas and they shift it's meaning from a holy holiday to a commercial holiday. Materialism can also be to blame to the short attention span of our youth. Rather than reading the newest book, a majority of the kids are worried about the latest release of a new video game.


Materialism - getting and spending- , though it has its flaws, is a major source of meaning and happiness in the modern world. "We live through things. We create ourselves through things. And we change ourselves by changing our things (Twitchell 389)." I can think of many situations where people have a bad day, and go out and buy something to make them feel better. Or have you ever seen a girl fresh out of a bad break up go out and essentially get a whole new makeover to make herself feel better or give herself a sense of a new beginning. In some cases, people collect a vast amount of things, and this is actually their hobby. It gives them a sense of satisfaction. It also contributes to an individual’s happiness to know that you have the freedom of buying whatever you want, wherever you want. After working for your hard owned money, it gives a sense of meaning to be able to spend it however you please. And when discussing owning the "best" or "latest" available possession, sometimes it’s less focused on the actual possession and more towards the meaning behind it.

There is no doubt that materialism has its pros and cons, but it isn't going anywhere. It is here to stay and will continue to grow as long as people continue to buy. Is it more good than bad? In my opinion, materialism is good as long as the individual doesn't over do it. The corporate market will continue to be the corporate market and do whatever it has to to make profit. But the consumer has control of the extent in which they consume. If you obtain easy credit for example, and over buy, then you will see that bad side of materialism and be stuck in endless debt. But if you watch the extent in which you buy, materialism can give a sense of happiness and satisfaction.