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Essay / American Values: The Role of Materialism in American Society
Materialism in America is not something new, rather it is something that has been a part of American society for some time now. Materialism is defined as valuing material possessions and physical comfort over spiritual values. In today's society, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of people obsessed with material things. Most Americans believe that buying will bring fulfillment, happiness, higher social status, and connections with others. In short, the more you have, the better you are as a person. This is the current state of American society, full of consumers wanting to buy more and more even when they have no money to spend. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayTechnology is always getting better and better, but it's also getting more and more expensive. Apple and Samsung are American companies that focus on the sale, design and development of electronic products. These two companies are considered industry giants, manufacturing a variety of products such as phones, computers, and smart watches. Apple, known for its iconic iPhone, has launched its new iPhone 11 starting at $1,200 in the United States. Samsung is also launching its new Galaxy Note Plus phone with a starting price of $1,000. These price ranges are the highest the general smartphone market has ever seen. Yet these companies have no problem selling their products to thousands of Americans. Jefferson Graham says the iPhone set a new sales record in 2017, surpassing the previous year by 211 million phones. Jefferson also states that even though iPhones are the most popular in 2017, looking at the list of best-selling tech items of 2017, it's easy to see the dominance of these brands. The Galaxy smartphone being second and the Apple watch fourth. Buying the latest phone, computer, or smart watch can sometimes make people feel self-important or believe they have a higher status until, of course, a new model comes out. This shows the materialism of American society. Americans also spend thousands of dollars on housing. You could say it's because Americans want comfort and a sense of relief. However, this is starting to change as Americans spend more and more on housing costs. Typical expenses for an American home might be limited to rent, bills, and insurance. This has started to change, with expensive furniture and appliances becoming essential in a household. Things like high-speed internet, the biggest and best plasma TVs, touch-screen refrigerators, just to name a few, add to Americans' spending on their homes. American society will make you feel like a failure if you don't have a big house with all the necessities, which will keep people buying and buying. Hoping it will give them a sense of fulfillment that won't last long, because just buying doesn't give that sense of fulfillment in the long run. The fashion industry is constantly growing and people are spending huge amounts of money on clothes. Once again, this illustrates the materialism of American society. Brands like Nike, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci are some examples of American companies that make millions of dollars each year from selling clothing..