Consumerism in America

http://members.aol.com/mediatheory/www/consumerism.html

I found this website article which talks about consumerism and its effects in America. It speask about how the whole American culture is driven by consumerism. The American people in a sence are no longer their own, insted they are 'owned' by the clothes they wear, the food they eat and the things they choose to buy. The things they buy are very much prominent in their identity and saying who they as a person are. If they wear a nike top then they are clearly a sports person. Also, the idea is mentioned that wealth is the decideding factor in society. If you can afford to buy things then you do and people can see you being a consumer.
The article does mention however the difference between consumerism today and how it was in the 1950's;

Perhaps consumers of the 1950’s were passive and purchased everything that was advertised but consumers at the turn of the millennium are much more educated.

It speaks about how people are less likely to be drawn in by just simple adverts or seeing the products. Today the complanies have to make it more personal and show the consumer that they will have a form of individualism. This today is their main selling point.

With advertising in todays society it is not hard to get an advert out to a particular audience, as the article says:

there is at least one television in every home and one computer in approximately 60% of homes

There is no problem with getting your advert across to the American people. Maybe it is because of this that consumerism can travel so fast. However this cannot be just defined to America, the same is probably true of countries like Britain and European countries.