TIM'S POST

First of all, I would just like to state that I do not play any role at all in the "consumer crazy culture." Everything that I "own" has been bought by either my mother or father; my parents that is. My clothing have all been purchased without my prior consent so it is not my responsibility that they are brand names. Furthermore, all electronics currently in my possession include only the basics and one luxury; a television, a computer, and the very outdated nintendo gamecube, bought when I was in grade 6. However, the food residing in my household include several brand names which I specifically requested my mother to buy. Brands such as Doritos, Lays, Lindor, Twix etc are all very common in my home. The main reason why that is done though, is because I am a glutton who has very specific tastes, not because I want to be "be hip." As I observed the television these 3-4 days as I always do, I found that a lot of commercials do focus on unhealthy foods, perhaps 10-17%, but there are also mountains of advertisements for products such as Xbox, Old Navy, Wal Mart etc. These ads actually annoy quite a bit because they insist on taking about ten minutes away from every half-hour show I'm watching. I often just go do something else such as homework during the commercials. In conclusion, I am definitely not part of any "consumer craze" but I shall answer the other questions in the following paragraph.
Identity is something people have varied opinions on. One side says to always be yourself, the other says group mentality is a very healthy thing, and the other simply looks at one's passport or driver's license. Personally, I will never give up on being myself, a factor that has irritated many people (especially my mother who's yelling at me right now). Although buying brand names can draw criticism from other who don't share the consumer's point of view, I feel it does not erode one's true self. To buy something fancy once in a while such as a Gucci handbag or a Rolex signifies that and individual is treating him/herself well. However, if one spends their entire life chasing after brand names and flaunting them in other's faces then their identity has changed. Changed into an unlikeable shrew who's just begging to be smacked across the face. My second point brings up the companies who try to make us buy their products using advertisements. They think that teenagers are "malleable" and "unable to think for themselves." They are right. Most teenagers do just follow the current trend; they but whatever everybody else is buying. Some of these companies make a fortune off us, but I don't have anything horrible to say about them because big corporations play a key part in our global economy. My mental environment is usually spent pondering over common everyday questions such as: when should I do my homework? What's for dinner? I wonder who that guy from the movie "The Bodyguard" was? Seldom does my mind dwell on advertisements and what I want to buy. The problem of a consumer crazy culture is that if you do not own what everybody else has, then you would feel like an outcast. It first starts out as a simple pang of envy, then before you know it a person is doing terrible things such as stealing simply to "fit in." That is wrong. Furthermore, it creates an unhealthy psychological state of mind. We "must" have so and so in order to be cool. The advertisements we see everyday basically tell us three things. One, you are not pretty enough. Two, you are not good enough. Three, you do not own enough. This composes an unrealistic point of view in which to view life as. One can always "fit in" without owning brand name materials by being nice, helpful, and cheery. It's all in personality and attitude. The question "how do you feel when you cannot buy something everybody else has" does not really apply to me because I don't know what everybody else has. I would just like to finish off by saying I don't really want to buy anything simply because they advertise it, I want to buy it because it will make life more convenient. For example, this Christmas I want another television simply because I am sick of having to fight over the television with my mother. In conclusion, our consumer crazy culture does need some change, but if one is intelligent and able to think for themselves then they should be able to negate the negative effects of advertisements.