Courtney Carlson
Cody Dye
English 101
October 23, 2017
Materialism Madness
Ten years ago if you would have asked a friend to go to the apple store you would have probably gotten a really confused look. In 2007, Apple launched its’ first smartphone, the iPhone. Steve Jobs introduced a smartphone with internet accessibility. It was the first mobile device that eliminated the keyboard. The days of punching keyboards to send text messages were over. Jobs provided the first touchscreen smartphone with internet capabilities. Apple was a well known technology company but the first generation iPhone was their most considerable breakthrough. The phone was available on the market June 29, 2007 and sold over 6 millions units. Fast forward to 2017 …show more content…
American materialism is something that will continue on for years thanks to billion dollar brands like Apple. We are constantly being surrounded by reminders of wealth by products like the iPhone. We spend our lives chasing after something that is bigger and better. There is a never ending list of things we want. We are defined by how much money we make, what we own, and our social status. We falsely correlate happiness and material goods.The term “The American Dream” has turned costly. We falsely associate this idea with material possessions. When you ask your grandparents what the American dream means to them they often associate it to hard work. In contrast when asking a teenager or someone in their young 20’s, they associate the American dream to shiny cars, elegant houses and fancy clothes. We could have everything we need plus some, but it will never be enough. No matter how much money we make we continue to glorify the top one percent and strive to be better. The iPhone is just one cultural artifact that supports this claim. Surrounded by an endless world of technology, we continue to buy the most expensive, newest models of the iPhone to make us feel superior. If we do not keep up with the latest technology we feel discomfort and insecurity. This is just one of the negative effects materialism has had on society. Americans fantasize about …show more content…
Unfortunately, I think this etra will continue for the rest of our lives. There is no way of stopping the obsession with money. The drive for wealth is continually fueled by our personal discontent.We will never truly escape the pressure to fit in with people we cannot afford to. Luxurious brands are to blame for the materialistic mindset in American society. Apple is just one brand that will continue to feed our materialistic appetite, especially in a world centered around
Cody Dye
English 101
October 23, 2017
Materialism Madness
Ten years ago if you would have asked a friend to go to the apple store you would have probably gotten a really confused look. In 2007, Apple launched its’ first smartphone, the iPhone. Steve Jobs introduced a smartphone with internet accessibility. It was the first mobile device that eliminated the keyboard. The days of punching keyboards to send text messages were over. Jobs provided the first touchscreen smartphone with internet capabilities. Apple was a well known technology company but the first generation iPhone was their most considerable breakthrough. The phone was available on the market June 29, 2007 and sold over 6 millions units. Fast forward to 2017 …show more content…
American materialism is something that will continue on for years thanks to billion dollar brands like Apple. We are constantly being surrounded by reminders of wealth by products like the iPhone. We spend our lives chasing after something that is bigger and better. There is a never ending list of things we want. We are defined by how much money we make, what we own, and our social status. We falsely correlate happiness and material goods.The term “The American Dream” has turned costly. We falsely associate this idea with material possessions. When you ask your grandparents what the American dream means to them they often associate it to hard work. In contrast when asking a teenager or someone in their young 20’s, they associate the American dream to shiny cars, elegant houses and fancy clothes. We could have everything we need plus some, but it will never be enough. No matter how much money we make we continue to glorify the top one percent and strive to be better. The iPhone is just one cultural artifact that supports this claim. Surrounded by an endless world of technology, we continue to buy the most expensive, newest models of the iPhone to make us feel superior. If we do not keep up with the latest technology we feel discomfort and insecurity. This is just one of the negative effects materialism has had on society. Americans fantasize about …show more content…
Unfortunately, I think this etra will continue for the rest of our lives. There is no way of stopping the obsession with money. The drive for wealth is continually fueled by our personal discontent.We will never truly escape the pressure to fit in with people we cannot afford to. Luxurious brands are to blame for the materialistic mindset in American society. Apple is just one brand that will continue to feed our materialistic appetite, especially in a world centered around