Materialism in Society

Sidekicks, Razors, Krazors, BlackJacks, Blackberries, IPhones, and 400 dollar Dolce & Gabbana cell phones are across our nation. The cell phone has grown tremendously over the years in both technology and its appearance from the dorky huge box to a fashion statement. The invention of the cell phone has helped our country as well as others in many ways of communication such as: for business, family, and emergencies. However, people have become negatively addicted to cell phones and are abusing them. The cell phone has taken impact and has attracted those who are younger and materialistic. People use cell phones to achieve social status. With the effect of addiction and social status appeals, the cell phone also impacts the economy. Because Americans are becoming so materialistic, they view cell phones as a need rather than a want. This is a result of economic deficiency. Cell phones are becoming an antagonistic impact on our society and are a valuable resource that is misused. The advertising companies for cell phones do a perfect job, because their target is for younger, more materialistic people, and they got it. This can be seen when walking around the campus to see how people judge and classify others to gain social status. For example, when girls walk around talking on their Blackberries or their Dolce & Gabbana cell phones, they might be classified as a snob. If a guy had an IPhone or a BlackJack, the girl might assume he has money. In an article, The Mobile Connection: the Cell Phone’s Impact on Society, “it is a constitutive element of a peer-group culture laden with symbolic meaning (by expressing fashionable style as well as symbolizing social integration), and an indispensable instrumental tool for remaining ‘in touch’ and facilitating ongoing social coordination. By empowering peer cultures, the mobile phone facilitates the emergence of common behavioral norms and subcultural patterns (e.g. informal SMS ‘text’ writing styles), and it supports the

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