Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Consumerism and a Fast Food Nation
Today more than ever we consume more than we produce. If Annie Leonard's statistics are correct, 99% of what we purchase is in the trash six months later. Is this the natural evolution of humanity and production? Or has this system been manufactured, marketed, and sold to us along with cheap electronics and fast food?
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27 comments:
Please remeber that this assignment is for a grade, and that you do need to actually pass my class in order to graduate from high school. Assignments are not merely suggestions, they are requirements.
With that said, I believe individuals are ulitmately responsible for what choices they make, but they do need to be aware of the sneaky marketing tricks and schemes in play. For instance, visit the grcoery store and you can observe all sorts of these nefarious ploys.
First, milk and eggs are ALWAYS at the back of the store, requiring to weekly to walk through the ENTIRE markety in order to obtain your basic needs.
Second, keep an eye on what's a knee-level. Sponge Bob Mac' n Cheese, marshmallows, pretty princess cake mixes, push-pops just to name a few. Stores purposesfully taget children, especially young chilrdren with their product placement.
Third, nearly everything is on sale. Put a little red/yello tag marked "VIP" or "Shopper Savings" and its like crack; even if the "savings" are only a few cents.
I think that the systen is just a result of evolution of humanity and production because this problem has slowly gotten worse over time. As technology progresses, the media progresses, meaning advertisments have been getting worse and worse. Like Leonard said, we are exposed to tons of advertisements each day. But this didn't happen to our parents. And our great grand parents were exposed to even less than our parents. So as we keep buying, we trash most of our stuff in 6 months because we're advertised newer and more advanced things. This will probably get much worse in the future, too.
Tina
As human beings we have generated this natural evolution of humanity and production ourselves. There is the constant battle to add a little something to the shelf, advertisements help accomplish that. In the Article "Slow Food for Thought" people around the world have made an effort to change their ways as far as consumerism may be concerned. There are people whom are trying to make a change to the economic crisis we are creating. Making an effort to change the natural evolutions to a better living environment will only help lead the people away from the advertisements that have us all hypnotized into believing materials make us happier. Schlosser is right in believing agriculture can never be sustainable without the help of the people, "...we are all co-producers, choosing a set of values with every bite."
D a n i e l l e
I agree with Tina. On TV, billboards, even in school we are exposed to advertising. Every year there is a new type of iPod that we just have to have and so we trash our old ones just to spend more money on another one that is going to get thrown out just like all of them before us. As we grow older, there are more and more advertisements that are targeted (legally) toward us. When we hit 18 the cigarette ads are targeted toward us, then we turn 21 and the beer and gambling ads appeal to us. The people in advertising business, work to target young people and are good at it so they keep putting more and more things out there for us to buy.
-Arielle-
I think it's natural that even people in the middle ages, if they could would buy as much as they could and throw out their unwanted stuff.
America has made consumerism natural. However, Leonard's argument that all computers practice systematic obsolescence is false. I'm a gamer, and so is my dad, and we constantly upgrade our machines wihtout having to chuck the whole thing.
I believe this could be the natural evolution of humanity and production. We do tend to buy, buy, and buy just for it to be thrown out not much longer after that. But I also do believer that this system of buying to throw away has been sold to us. The world of advertising has sold to us this system and we have come accustom to it. It's like we don't know what else to do. Anytime a new item like Ipod comes out we have to have the new one. Our socitey is all about "new" and to have something "old" is out of style.
Issis
advertisement is a very small portion of what is take into consideration when designing .The other part is made for consumer convenience. If the the milk and eggs were at the front of the store then those who came for large shopping trips would grab those first and by the time they got everything else they needed and got to checkout their cold products would be warm. The items that are targeted to a younger crowd are lower because it leaves more shelf space up high for the products purchased more by the elderly. This prevents discomfort to those who have back problems. Those bright stickers that let you know whats on sale allow those in a rush to find a deal. If all the stickers looked the same then most people would just a grab a bottle thinking all the prices were the same. These "marketing ploys" are only there to serve the customer in an increasingly fast paced world. If convenience is bad thing then i dont want to be right.
Jordan Anderson
Humans should not treat companies badly just because companies are trying to advertise their product, even if it is a bit "sneaky". People should be able to make the right decisions, and resist the temptation of buying something unneccesary. I work at Basha's (wooooo) and I constantly hear people say they found more than they came in for, or even that they forgot to get the item that they came to pick up in the first place. I can understand that you may have picked up an extra side dish for dinner, but an extra 100 bucks? That's absolutely insane. Companies do whatever they can to team up with what's popular at the moment to try and sell more of their product, leaving both companies that are advertising happy. Of course a kid would want a spongebob cereal, even if it tastes like cheerios. They would even want spongebon toilet paper, or a spongebob garbage bag. The other day I saw hannah montannah sandwhich bags at Fry's. Seriously. But it wouldn't surprise me one bit if it sold well. Kids want it just because it has their favorite icon on it, not for any practical reason.
( Yea, I forgot to do this last night, but I'm doing it today anyway)
I have come to find that the system, in my opinion, is a direct result of evolution. Not necessarily in the sense of biology, but as social evolution. America was founded upon the principles of equality, honesty, and most importantly hard work. (At least these are the chosen Christian philosophies integrated into our system of litigation). So, more recently we have evolved into the ultimate "hard working" country. We are bred to work in order to make money, which of course is to buy items and services. With the constant intervention of signals and messages provided through variable advertisements it only makes sense that Americans' are instilled with the notion that only "new" is good. This all leads back to the notion that we deem it plausable to dispose of products, even if they are just a little old, because we work hard and deserve the best. (We deserve the best to extract as many convieniences out of life as we can get ahold of). However, it is ultimatley our ignorance that has lead to us looking past the obvious problem of our enviormentally unfriendly materials. I hope that we can change the route of America's social evolution into a system that values sustainable products rather than survive off of a disposable lifestyle.
Justin McClelland
In Michael Pollen's "In Defense of Food" he differentiates between what is actual food, organic items, and our highly depended on processed foods, as he labels them "imitation food". I believe most people understand consuming more organic foods are healthier. However, I am similarily convinced that America's citizens are not informed on the consequential severity of processed foods. Meaning, that we are told processed foods, like McDonalds, is bad for the body. But, people are willing to take the risk and gamble their health because our society has been blinded into believing that only calories matter. Hence, the sudden popularity of "diet" products. In reality, a diet coke is worse more damaging to ones health than a regular coke. The supplimented chemicals in coke that reduce the calorie intake, such as Aspartame, specifically have been known to cause cancer. It would be ideal for America to de-supesize from its fast food addiction and eat more appropriated diets with greens and fruits. In reality taking baby steps is more plausable by simply cutting back the amount of food in general. Every year our culture is stretching the boundary that being "Big" is acceptable. Obesity becomes unaccpetable when it is causing health problems to the individual and is pressuring our economy's health care system. The Fattest Country in the world is our label, when it should be known as the smartest or most productive. If American's slowly integrate these health benefitial foods into our daily diet, we can at least eliminate the majority of life threatening diseases we injest into our bodies everyday. One of the most profound contradictions I have noticed in America is that when a person is proven to have commited suicide, no insurance is provided to the family in greivance. However, our government on a daily basis permits companies to load our food with chemicals that we are willing killing ourselves with. Should those families of deceased individuals due to health related issues, like heart-attacks be getting insurance? Natural is better in the realmos of food and is the only factore that will eliminate all health related diseases.
Justin McClelland
Honestly I am still completely biased with the subjects. I not only believe and agree with Anne Leonard and her claims of pollution and waste created by the U.S. nevery year but i also
think that our system has BEEN and will now alyays BE manufactured and sold to us along with everything else in life. Even though yes the government is essentially ran "by the people" these decisions were made and done unaware to the people. It had to be brought and shown to us what exactly is happening and what we are doing to not only the aspect of our personal lives but the devistation and crisis that the world is now in due to our lack of informative info and guidance in the action to make steps forward overall improving world itself.
~4ng!3~
"Super Size Me" i believe is one of the best national and factual informative films that has been made centering around America and one of the most popular and well loved fast food resturants...not only does he make the point of genetic problems this resturants food will cause (if eatin frequently) along with the effects it will have on your daily life emotionally influencing your moods, but he states that our country is tthe fattest country (and growin in number) in the world due to our poor eating habits and lack there of. With the growing number of individuals with genetic (history) problems 1 out of every 3 individuals will develop some type of diabetes in thier lifetime if it keeps going at this rate and they dont monotor their eating habits and frequent excersise.
~4ng!3~
I agree with Jordan up there. Companies aren't going to just place their items randomly on shelves and see what happens, they put stuff where they are for a reason. I don't think an adult would want Hannah Montanna Cherrios, or whatever they are making with her face now, as much as a kid would. So they put the obnoxiously shaped cereal boxes lower where kids can see them and beg and beg and beg until their parents give in. Heh heh kids...
"advertisement is a very small portion of what is take into consideration when designing . The other part is made for consumer convenience."- (Preston)
From marketing class, I learned that 2/3 of the price of a product is used to cover the marketing and advertising process. When designing a product, all four aspects of the marketing mixes are necessary. From identifying a specific age group, to deciding what's cool to feature, to PRODUCT PLACEMENT, advertisement is a very big*** portion of what is taken into consideration when designing. (Hence: that's why we have people with jobs in the sales and advertising field.) All these companies want is to make money and sell, sell, sell. Sure they have to create products that will create convenience for the general population, but its UNNECESSARY convenience. For example, by placing all the maganizes, candies, gum, and chapsticks at the checkout line, it's convenient but again.....unnecessary convenience that we do not need! And yes the consumers are ultimately responsible for buying these "convenient" products for their "fast-paced world" and further fueling more trashy products and more advertisements, but it's also time to see that these companies are also at fault. After all, it takes two to tango!
Dang Meardey you tell him!!! She has the ethos. I'm on her side! :-)
Christen Valentine-
it is most definitely not the natural thing to waste and waste and buy to waste. until the shopping rates went up in the 1950's it was taught in both countries and colonies that taking only enough for that day or week for month depending on the season working for what is neccesary and getting soemthing that is wanted as a everynow and again prize so things were not wasted. because (just as right now) they dont have a place to put it all, not everything you stick in the ground would go away and not everything would help the land.
when these things were said more people lived off the land so they took the management of that land seriously. now most tend to live on the lane rather than off it so poeple do not take care of the landss because it's not thier problem or it doesnt affect them.
rather they dont see it affecting them.
well there are marketing plots everyone. no matter where you are there is some kind of advertisment. as for the 99% of what we buy is thrown away, i believe this could possibly be true. for the simple fact that many people are reckless and will either break their stuff or just want to upgrade to whats new and 'in' you see people trade in their old car and buy the 2009 modle the day it comes out, yet they do have a debt of around 12,000.00 right? on average. so you this could be true, i just dont see it because i am a pack rat, along with my family. since we've moved to maricopa we've always found a use for everyone so it may or may not be true. but i can see it being true.
If i was a company i would definately sell products that are easily broken and disposed of. It just seems logical for corperations to want more consumers buying their products especially more than once. Unfortunately i have to agree with Annie with her assesment that we are being bombarded by companies through advertisements on a daily basis. I love what Jordan said about not attacking the companies and that we are responsible for our actions. we as Americans and maybe i can be safe to say the entire world have become lazy and we look for the easy way out and companies will exploit this weakness we as humans just need to assert some type of control in our lives.
Emilio
To Meardey-
Yes the price reflects the advertisement costs of the product but the company has no control of where their product is placed in a store. Of course the store is going to place the products where they are going to sell that way they move product more efficiently but the fact is that waiting in line would be boring if you couldnt look at the tabloids while waiting in line. You dont see alot of magazines at express lines or self- checkout do you? No because people are moving too fast through those lines and don't need a magazine to look at. I'm not trying to defend stores in saying that they are providing convenience out of the good of their heart; they are doing to keep it to keep customers wanting to come back to their stores. But those products are not their to brainwash little kids or convince you that you need something you dont.
I think it is a combination of both things. I think that naturally we have leaned toward producing the most cost effective and easiest things to make. However I think that it has also been a conscious step made by choosing the easy route. We as americans have become obssesed with making everything easier and more convenient rather than better. We foolishly believe all of the advertisments that we see even if we don't think that we do. Are you more likely to buy a brand of something that you have never heard of before or something that you may have seen in a comercial once or twice. Even if you don't know it you naturally tend to go towards the familiar. Another lie that we all tell ourselves is that we know that having more stuff will not make us happy and we pretend that we all believe that but we really don't. We all think that if we had a bigger house or if we had a nicer car or a few more clothes that that would make everything easier and so we would be happy. It isn't true and never will be but that doesn't change the fact that to some extent we believe it. It is the sma elie that we are being intentionally told all the time. Even though it is a natural progression it is still not how it should be.
Consumerism and advertising have become more than just aspects of daily life, but rather main components of it. In today’s society we have come to the realization that our earth is not going to last forever and that our resources are becoming more and more limited everyday. Throughout history we have improved and have made great strides to become more technological. And even greater than that is the rapid rise in our population. As more and more people inhabit our earth the more resources we are using and the more pollution were are causing. Like Annie Leonard said we trash 99% of products we buy. When we hear this we automatically make up excuses and reasons why we cant be more energy efficient. Adervertisers do know exactly where to place items to best sell like mrs. russoniello but they might also be in their place for convienience as preston had mentioned.
I think its a little of both, of course its the evolution of humanity and production. for example, diapers we've gone from cloth dipers to throw away diapers. its part of our product evolution however, i also think our system sells us cheaper electronics and fast food because of this our waste products percentage is very high. i believe companies are just after money and are putting things together as fast as possible, not worrying about the quality. thus, lots of products go to waste and we throw away more and more resources.
to preston-
how isn't it brainwashing?
kids love sponge bob
kids are hungry
kids are hungry for sponge bob shaped macaroni...
no, not brainwashing at all...
not a plot to get children to whine in the middle of the store for what they want
same with the candy in the check out lane
who is gonna look at the candy ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM!?
exactly. go defend your perfect little corporation you communist.
To whoever posted that last thing about me-
Why would the store put those items at the top of the shelf? Are grownups going to buy spongebob mac and cheese? No. So put the shells and cheese that the single guy who is going home alone tonight is going to buy on the top shelf right where he can easily see and reach it. The kiddie candy goes on the bottom for the kids to leave room for the grownup gum uptop. Everyone can agree that we have steadily becom a lazier and lazier society so if the stores put the Mint Gum where the regular person couldnt reach it then no one would ever buy orbit and the kids wouldnt be able to see their favortie candy on the top shelf. Its simply palcing where the product is going to be seen by the people who are going to want it. Think about movie advertisements. You didnt see ads for "The Dark Knight" or "Pineapple Express" running before "Nights in Rodanthe" or any other chick flick. Not because the movie industry is tryin to brainwash the viewers of "stoner" or "nerd" movies but because the movies advertised are aimed at the same audience.
Personally, i spend my money on food. i don’t often keep my food around for more than 6 days let alone 6 months. after watching Supersize Me, it seems most of American spending goes to food. Frivolous things bought, i would agree, are designed to break. this is a companies insurance that their products will continue to be purchased. As more things become available, people want more, are told they are needed more. if it was not human nature to crave more, we would not be in this predicament at all, so clearly, this becomes an issue of both human evolution and companies taking advantage of our innate traits. it can be argued we've been told we need more, but think of primitive cultures, the "king" had the most and best of everything available, it is a symbol of status, being the best of the best because you have the best of the best. thanks to technology, this no longer means collecting the prettiest rock, it means having the top-of-the-line product that is most likely not recyclable, possibly toxic/harmful in the long run, not to mention the toxins produced to create the product.
Answer to original question: Both.
Hi,
I thought you might find this interesting. Healthline has compiled a list of the Effects Fast Food on the Body in a visual graphic and I thought you and your readers would be interested in seeing the information.
You can check out the information at http://www.healthline.com/health/fast-food-effects-on-body We’ve had good feedback about the article and we think it will benefit your readers by giving them med-reviewed information in a visual way.
If you think this information is a good fit for your audience would you share it on your site, http://mhsramsenglish.blogspot.com/2009/02/consumerism-and-fast-food-nation.html , or social media?
Let me know what you think and have a great week.
All the best,
Maggie Danhakl • Assistant Marketing Manager
p: 415-281-3100 f: 415-281-3199
Healthline • The Power of Intelligent Health
660 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.healthline.com | @Healthline | @HealthlineCorp
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