The Purchasing Cult

September 25, 2008 bayleeheisler

                As I stand in the middle of my dorm room and begin to look around at my possessions I start to wonder what reason I had for wanting these items and what had lead me to purchasing them. I will first begin at my closet. I see dresses, shorts, tank tops, jeans, flip-flops, and some high heels. My wardrobe definitely belongs to a girl who lives in warm weather. But is the fact this it’s hot outside my motivation for shopping. Thinking back on specific shopping experiences I can conclude for certain that the weatherman for Arizona was not my shopping coordinator. Instead I realize that I look to what celebrities are wearing in movies and on television shows, how my friends dress, and ultimately what is in style. Do I even like my clothes? I honestly do not know and I do not suspect I ever will.

            I now contemplate on the technology strewn about my room. I see a television, a Bose radio, a cell phone, an I-touch, and the lap-top which I am using at this very moment. I know I bought the television for entertainment purposes. It is a time for relaxation and a break from homework. Commercials, however, are a time to let advertisers repeatedly show me what I should buy and why their product is the best. For instance, the I-pod commercial, which replays about one thousand times throughout the day on various channels, is probably the reason I am obsessed with my I-touch. I was brainwashed without even realizing it.

            The brands that are labeled on practically everything in my room is recognizable with some form of advertisement; half of which I could sing the jingle for. Whether it is television, radio, or simply walking through the mall, everywhere I go I am prompted to purchase one thing or another whether I truly need it or not.

            I am a typical college student surrounded by millions of others which belong to the same generation of consumers. Together we make up an inescapable cult that producers thrive on. From the time we were children trading the ever famous Pokémon cards to college students searching for the newest cell phone on the market, our brains are programmed to buy what is shown on television, billboards, or on Jessica Simpson on the red carpet. The Purchasing Cult we have been initiated in will only gain strength as we continue to keep up on the latest trends and technology.

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