Gomez 1 David Gomez John Kubler English 114B 25 February 2014 The Effects of Media, Materialism, and Sexualization

In todays society there are many factors that can affect ones expressions and behaviors and how they come off to other people. Certain media and advertisements have major impacts on society because they portray an image to people on how they should look and act. Famous men and women also have major impacts of the youth and younger adults of society because people who are famous interpret a way that the younger minority should act and dress. Consumption and Materialism impacts our identities in a major way, because everyone wants to have nice possessions. Materialism or having nice possessions is a way of showing how powerful and wealthy a person is. People believe that owning many expensive items automatically makes them better than everyone else. Sexualization impacts our identities by determining who is more powerful; men or women. No matter what way you look at it there are definitely many factors that control peoples expressions and behaviors. Everything that happens in society impacts the way we act whether we notice it or not. The clothes we wear, things we buy, ways we act, and even the way we dress are absolutely impacted by the effects of Media, Materialism, and Sexualization Media is the number one way people get their information in the world. Everywhere we look media is somehow influencing our decisions. We may not even notice it but everywhere we look there are advertisements directed to us staring us in the face. Advertisements impacting our lives are everywhere including billboards, cellphones, computers, televisions, etc. Advertising is the art of arresting the human intelligence just long enough to get money from it(2). We are all affected when it comes to media and advertising because we are the targets. They want us to buy their product and they convince us thorough

Gomez 2 posters and commercials to purchase their product. Media not only affects the things we buy but also our image. The fact is that young people girls in particular are often bombarded with imagery of the perfect bodies(2). The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is no such thing as perfect. What we see in magazines and TV shows is all fake. People have to be happy with their bodies and how they look. Do not let media portray an image to you and say that is how you should look, because everyone is unique in their own way. It is hard to not try and make yourself the way media wants you too because there are many influences. Just keep in mind that people will like for who you are rather than you trying to be someone or something you are not. Many people want expensive material possessions so they can show it off to other people. Possessions should not be the reason why you are happy, it should be the fact that you are living life. Consumers high in materialism believe that acquisition and consumption are necessary to their satisfaction in life and that expanded levels of consumption will make them happier(1). It is a shame that people think their possessions is the reason for their happiness. Society buys into the idea that our personal possessions are the reason for our happiness in life. People think that the reason they are not happy is because they do not have as many possessions as someone who does. When someone has many nice possessions it provokes other people to try and purchase the same things so they can be on the same level as them. People think that to be happy they have to have nice things, but you cannot buy happiness. Happiness should be based on the way you live your life and not what you own. Findings suggest that consumption leads to no more positive feelings among materialists than it does among consumers low in materialism(1). People who are different are going to have different views on what happiness is. Some people need material possessions to be happy but others can live without and there is nothing wrong with that. Personally some of my material possessions do make me happy, but I dont what my possessions to be the reason for my happiness. If I am happy I want it to be because I am living my life to the fullest and not worrying about what I own. I do not feel the need to show off what I have

Gomez 3 to others to make myself feel better. I want to be remembered as a person who did not let his possessions control how he lives his life. Men and women both want to feel like there are more powerful than the other. But who has more power men or women? Societys image has always been that men are always more powerful than women, because men are meant to take care of their women. Overtime that vision has been doubted because today women show how powerful they can be opposed to men. An article called Feminism and Psychology talks about the empowerment of women and how women can use sex to show that they are more powerful then men. The article states, that women who are empowered in the bedroom will feel empowered in all aspects of their lives(3). Some women say that if they are feeling powerful in the bedroom than they feel like they are powerful in their overall lives. Some women may feel that they are more inferior when it comes to sex because they can use their bodies to control what men want. Does this show that women have more power then men or does it exploit women in a negative way? I feel that when it comes to sexual intercourse nobody should feel like they are more powerful than the other. Women should not think that they could use themselves to take control over men and vice versa. Just because it is not okay for women to abuse men does mean that it is okay for men to abuse women. We are all equal no matter who or what we are. The Bro code documentary talks about how men are more powerful then women and how women are often shown colluding in their own objectification, a message that shows men that it is okay to use and abuse women(5). Nobody should be viewed as an object, because everyone should be viewed with respect and care. We are all human beings and we should all be viewed that way. I believe no man is more powerful than any woman and no woman is more powerful than any man. Our society thinks that one should be more powerful than the other but that is wrong. Everyone deserves the same amount of power because we are all the same. As clich as it sounds we are all equal to one another no matter what race, gender, shape, or size. I have full respect to anyone and do not judge them is any way, shape or form.

Gomez 4 People would label prostitution, legalized drugs, and adult entertainment as taboo or unacceptable to society. You cannot stop someone from doing these things because you have to let them live the life they want too. In the article Female Chauvinist Pigs a seventeen-year-old girl who started to get into prostitution said her mother was really involved in the womens movement, so she thinks whatever you do to feel se-cure and confidant is fine(4). If something makes you happy, then you should just keep doing what you are doing. Why would you let someone tell you his or her opinion of how to live your own life? We should all live our lives the way we want and should not let anyone tell us otherwise. When it comes to drugs we have to accept the fact that drugs are always going to be apart of our society no matter if we like it or not. Sometimes drugs can be used for good reasons and other reasons not so much. It is up to an individual whether they are using drugs for good or bad reasons, but then again do not be so fast to judge someone of the way they are living their life. Adult entertainment is an interesting topic because although no one will admit it, majority of people have looked up and watched adult entertainment. What someone does in his or her personal lives is their business and I am in no position to judge. Let people do what makes them happy. These topics are very interesting because although they come of as taboo, some things make certain people happy. Do not be so quick to judge people of the things they do. Respect others like you would want to be respected. Our behavior and expressions are definitely impacted by Media, Materialism, and Sexualization. The most important thing to remember is we should do what makes us happy, remember the important things in life, and do not let anyone tell you how to live your life. It is your life so go out there at live in the way you want to. If something makes you happy then for you own sake keep doing it, and do not let the fact that society views it as something negative stop you form doing it. People in this society feel like they have to live up to other peoples expectations, when the only expectations you should care about are your own. Do not let someone tell you what to buy or do, rather live life to your full potential.

Gomez 5 Works Cited Marsha L. Richins, Kim K. R. McKeage, and Debbie Najjar (1992) ,"An Exploration of Materialism and Consumption-Related Affect", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 19, eds. John F. Sherry, Jr. and Brian Sternthal, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 229-236. Anup, S.. N.p.. Web. 25 Feb 2014. <http://www.globalissues.org/article/160/media-and-advertising>. Gupta, Kristina, and Thea Cacchioni. "Feminism and Psyhcology." . N.p., 21 8 2013. Web. 25 Feb 2014. <http://fap.sagepub.com/content/23/4/442>. Levy, Ariel. "Female Chauvinist Pigs." Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. N.p.. Web. 25 Feb 2014. Thomas , Keith, dir. The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men. Media Education Foundation , 2011. Film. 25 Feb 2014. <www.mediaed.org>.