Living in a first world country we were born into a materialistic world. Every day we are exposed to relentless advertising of the newest and greatest products. We can’t help but to have a materialistic mindset. It is the product of our environment. We’re all guilty of wanting things but when does this materialism become harmful?

In his article Values Americans Live By, L. Robert Kohls stated “The different behaviors of people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group.” According to Kohls the definition of materialism in America is to “value and collect more material objects than most people would ever dream of owning. It also means they give higher priority to obtaining, maintaining and protecting their material objects than they do in developing and enjoying interpersonal relationships.” Here in America, we don’t notice the severe consumerism and materialism of our culture, but it is pretty obvious to other nations on the outside looking in. There are many negative opinions of America out there, and our greed has contributed to a lot of them. The prominency of materialism can be observed in our everyday lives. For instance, kids in elementary school having iPhones. Of course there is no need for this, it is just a consequence of the growing normality of materialism. We see it everywhere; on television, in print and on the internet, advertisements catch our eye in every media platform. This is what ultimately drives our materialistic culture. It is now a cultural norm to think of luxuries as necessities. Consumerism becomes materialism and this turns into greed. So how did this mindset arise? I would say the biggest influences would have to be advertising.

This technique first became popular during World War II and from then on, it has only gotten bigger. In our day and age you cannot watch a youtube video or visit a website without seeing an ad. The purpose of advertisements aim to catch your attention, whether it is through attractive models, tugging at your heartstrings or “mindblowing” facts, they want your attention in order to sell. To sell the newest and greatest product. According to them, you need it. It will make your life better or you could be just like your favorite celebrity. The goal of advertising has always been to manipulate. Often giving facts that are very misleading or even untrue. As advertising became a social norm, so did materialism. Manufacturers are catching on the this phenomenon, purposely making their product last for a shorter period of time so their consumers are forced to buy something bigger and better. The average lifespan of a laptop according to TheGuradian.com is about two years. That’s it! Trading in this old laptop will get you money off a brand new one at most stores, which you most likely saw in an ad. Though materialism is great for the economy, it is hurting America’s image and ultimately making experiences less meaningful.

If Americans were to take a step back and realize the portion of their lives that revolves around tangible things, I believe perspectives could be changed. More of our daily lives are devoted to things such as the internet, shopping and being on our phones than ever before. This is causing human connections to be lost and for the human experience to become less meaningful. The need for “stuff” is becoming an epidemic in our culture. This mind set however, keeps America on the move. It is obviously very good for businesses and the economy and is now our way of life. It will be quite hard to change our way of life, especially because technology is only going to become more advanced. As technology users we must keep in mind what we are being exposed to on a daily basis and what it is actually trying to do. The sooner we realize that we should be craving experiences instead of things, the more meaningful and fulfilling our lives will be. If we start to get our priorities straight, materials will not run our lives.