Consumer Culture

Going to a business school has its ups and downs. Sometimes, it makes me wonder how much my perception of the world has changed since I started my college career at Bentley University. For one thing, I never think that anything that could possibly be accidental when it comes to consumer culture and how it is portrayed in the media. A few things have significantly contributed to my skepticism of American media*:

• Business school. Like I said, starting at Bentley just made me realize how stereotypically corporate every aspect of life can potentially be. Everybody is out to make money, one way or another. Or at least, that's what I've heard in most of my economics courses and a handful of my General Business courses. It's a crazy viewpoint to have, and for now I'm stuck with it.
• COM311- Money, Power & Communication. This is my favorite class this semester, and it's well on its way to being my favorite of my college career. It's one of the first classes that has made everything *click* in my head. Through readings about media, images and consumer behavior, we've touched on aspects of society that I've been exposed to through my economics, communications and business courses! Since television is one of the media I've chosen to expose myself the most to, when I read about how images in the mass-media influence culture and the economy, I try finding relevant examples in the television shows I've watched.
• Being a minimalist. I've never felt the need to own a lot of things. Quite the opposite, in fact. Clutter, out in the open or hidden away in desk drawers and cabinets, has always bothered me. The annoyance I feel when commercial breaks start (except during the Super Bowl) works well together with the fact that there's rarely a product that I've bought because I saw a television commercial for it.
• Let me clarify. I'm by no means saying that I don't like television commercials, because they are entertaining by themselves. But that's it. I don't agree with the idea that every product on the market needs to have a television spot. 

It's alarming how normalized we are to the fact that everywhere we go, someone is trying to sell us something. Even on television shows! As the semester progresses, I am hoping to learn more language that will enable me to have a productive conversation about how consumer culture is so strongly portrayed in television shows. My next post will be focusing on a couple different shows, juxtaposing this idea.

* I say American media because it's what I've been opposed to. I'm sure I could draw conclusions to television programs in the UK, India, and other countries, if I was given the chance.