America is known for its freedoms, democracy and luxuries. U. S. Citizens often hold a sense of smug and superiority over other countries because of these qualities and have a common misconception that everyone wants to live In America because of how equal our society is. In reality media plays a significant role in consumer inequality. Their primary focus is to keep us occupied while others excel and take charge. The majority of Americans is more concerned with their social media, material Items and keeping up with celebrities rather than setting their priorities.
German physiologists Theodore Adorn and Max Herkimer developed a theory referred to as the culture industry, “The culture industry not so much adapts to the reactions of its customers as it counterfeits them” (Adorn). Adorn and Herkimer were one of the first of their time to be enlightened to the Inequality of the false relationship between capitalistic producers and consumers. Television, music, movies, clothes, trends, etc. Is what unifies societies. In 1893 sociologist Emilee Druthers used the term mechanical solidarity. Deuterium’s theory suggests that in a society where everyone Is the same there will not be any advances.
When everyone thinks and acts the same way they share a worldview and without different minds and ideas changes will not be made. After analyzing and researching more on the culture industry, mass media and pantomimic there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support all of these theories. Along with personal experiences which enhance my support to the idea that we are taught only what the media wants us to learn and the amount of knowledge on what they approve of the public knowing. Anything unique and different to society is seen as a threat and is immediately terminated.
We as consumers are already trained to weed out the abnormalities . Elf someone has a basic phone (not a smartened) there Is something wrong with them. Even the name adds pressure the situation. By calling it a smartened it implies that anything else is not smart. The culture industry thrives on trends. Companies such as Cataracts, Herbalist, Diamond clothing, Apple and Versa charge high prices for their products because they know people will pay for the brand name. We now live In a time where those without the big brand names are the abnormal.
Companies aren’t even the ones who pass this Judgment. Your peers, work colleague our society in general has set a bar that we should all be up to date on what’s trendy and ‘in’. Of course the big name cooperation’s still play a role in promoting their companies. Apple makes their APS, chargers and memo]l’s that only work for their products only. I recently went out to buy a phone case for my android but all the options were for phones and pods. I felt like a misfit, as though there was something wrong with the fact that I did not own an phone.
In 2010, Betting Cornwall, a professor of marketing and sports management preformed a study called “Children’s Brand Symbolism understanding”. From this experiment they found that between the ages of three and five 93% know the McDonald’s logo. Yet I doubt that high of a percentage of McDonald’s is a prime example of a capitalist company who manipulates their customers. Children are taught by television to want a soda and high fat meal for dinner as opposed too healthier alternative. In the advertisement world nothing is on accident.
Every detail to the t in each commercial, photo, logo is done for a reason. I personally have noticed how sites like Twitter, Tumbler, Backbone all have the same color logo; blue. Coincidentally blue is a color that eases the mind, putting it in a relaxed state. Thus leading to more dopamine released in the brain giving us good feelings which draws us to their network. Just because we see it on television doesn’t make it the right idea. Turning on your television you will encounter numerous advertisements’ for fast food, Junk food and artificial products that don’t allow us to be our best physically.
We commonly ingest drinks which are known to cause diabetes and obesity. Coca Cola if poured raw meat will literally start to dissolve the meat, and people pay to put them inside their iodides. Staying healthy and keeping up physically will help aid in being more physically capable of activities even as you get older. The consumer lifestyle began in the sass’s; in past there was a lack of materials and infrastructure. It was also the time of change, where people began to shy away from the cookie cutter sass’s conservative lifestyle.
Alternative options began to appear. The youth of the time could basically buy their ‘unique’ style. This was a turning point; Americans began to focus on how they are perceived to others. Commercial media’s main and only goal is to make money. While more wealthy families can easily afford luxuries and material items while majority place themselves in debt Just to keep up their economical status. Which is why you see so many commercials telling you what’s wrong with you and if you buy their product it will make help you?
Perpetual discontent is becoming a more common advertisement theme because by putting the consumer in fear of being not as good as society tells them; they purchase these products and pay mass amounts of money for cosmetic surgeries. It is argued that the media, with them emphasizing how broken and flawed we are, is the reason why eating disorders ND depression has been alarmingly increasing in today’s youth. I myself went through an eating disorder and obsessed over becoming this perfect imagine I felt expected to be. By the time I was 12 1 decided I was going to get beast enhancement when I became 18.
I was always teased by my peers for my “membership” in the “itty bitty itty comity’. I felt less of a woman, and all because within the last decades it was decided what is beautiful and what is not. Ironically we pay to be fed this content and ideals; it is a common misconception to think television is mainly for our entertainment. The main purpose for television is money, advertisements, access to information and then our entertainment. Looking at the bigger picture of things media in general is not for our convenience and entertainment. But more as a political influence, power and control.
Multinational corporations are the ones who are ultimately in charge of mass media. The power elite, a small percentage of the people who have wealth and power decide what we can, see how we can see it and when we can see it. Our information is basically cut and edited before we get it. Those who are socially and economically high ranked are noninsured common people of which the vast majority are unaware of the power elite American so we have freedom and the right to privacy. However everyday people are giving up their freedoms willingly and without even being aware. I once heard a Joke; what is the most told lie? Agreeing to the terms and conditions. Even the television show South Park had an episode making fun of us as a society and how we agree to things we do not even know of and for what, to Join Backbone or connect to a weapon. Nearly everything we do electronically is recorded; the term “Cookies Enable” may sound familiar. Cookies is a tracker which records everything we search online. Nothing we do on the internet is ours, we agreed to allow these mystery corporations such as Cookies to track, record and sell our information. Our searches are sold to advertisers so they know exactly what products and what ads to place on your social networks.
Ata very young age we begin to be molded by our culture- recognizing logos, identify celebrities and being more technologically advanced; the list is endless. As much as we would like to think we live in a free and equal country there are major flaws in class inequity. Karl Mar’s conflict theory is still extremely elevate to today’s society. Those with political, economic and social resources are in control and want to remain in control. By using media to keep the masses entertained and preoccupied they are able to continue their control without struggling over the power with others.
According to CNN in 2004 more people voted in the hit television show American Idol then in the Presidential Election. More recently in 2013 the government shut down, yet more people we talking about the scandalous Vim’s award show. The government and famous influential celebrities often work together in a common goal. ” Talented performers belong to the industry Eng before it displays them; otherwise they would not be so eager to fit in” (Culture Industry, 1944). For example President Obama and rapper Jay-Z are known to be close friends both obviously highly influential people for two completely different crowds.
Media is a tool to not only distract people from world events and even incidents going on in our country; but it is used to dumb down the generations and have them give up control over themselves and put it in someone else’s hands. In previous society’s when media control was lost totalitarian systems failed. When the higher power loses their influence on society their power diminishes. The culture industry is on a mission to enable its people by causing diversions and keeping the attention elsewhere as the capitalists continue making worldly life changing decisions right under our noses.
Unplugging from social media is an effective step to avoiding becoming a victim to the industry. Keep yourself aware of the world around you and realize that you have a voice and every person standing up makes a difference. As long as the people and working class stay quite capitalists remain in control. Another way to resist being another victim of internet addiction is only get a smartened if o feel you need one. Children in elementary schools are now having smartness; is that really necessary. Children especially when young and impressionable should not have full access to the internet.
Being exposed to such explicit and raw content effects their mental process. Children aren’t even the only ones suffering from mental trauma caused by the media. Each year the number of people diagnosed with depression rises. Many studies link social networks such as Backbone to the problem. With so many different networks and how easily accessible it is cyber bullying has isolating yourself for hours on end with your computer you could invest your time in accomplishing something productive or building real life relationships. Every ad, television show, music video and video games influences us.
