American popular culture has been formed with the help of television, radio, music, and other means that contributed greatly to the establishment of a specific attitude and ideas in minds of the contemporary citizens. The middle of the 20th century saw the integration of rock’n’roll with the modern culture, while the 1980s presented an increase in music videos development (Cullen, 2001, pp. 234-235).
Radio and television are the primary sources of electronic advertising; in this respect, every means has its advantages and drawbacks as radio is capable of bringing the information supported effectively with music and sounds, while the television-based approach requires bright images with some meaningful content. “More and more corporations learned how to market consumer goods and services internationally” (Stearns, 2001, p.132). New technologies made advertising an integral part of the consumerist society. The global community has experienced the impact of advertising and the development of popular culture in terms of change of cultural values and establishment of the international ones.
Advertising has influenced a lot of concepts in the life of ordinary people. Evaluation, quantity, and desire are three trends promoted by the electronic media. You should know that before using some good your body was ugly (teeth were not white enough, the soup was not tasty, dishes were not clean), whereas this product made everything right. You are suggested to have an excessive quantity of something (according to advertisements, you should have two drops of chewing gum rather than one which would be enough). Desire is over the need which involves buying products that were not considered an integral part before.
People that had never thoughts about jogging are involved into this because of advertisements of different athletic outfit; food, drinks, and events are promoted on radio and television which presupposes a need to consume these units. Exponential advertisement expansion by utilization of electronic media (Internet in particular), has progressively enhanced consumerism growth as the main cultural living means. America and other developed countries have become well-established in consumerism.
Work and social responsibility are parts of advertising because many people are involved in this business without bearing any responsibility for developing false concepts and establishing false cultural and moral values. People should be aware of the genuine properties of this or that product, whereas few producers are interested in informing the consumers of the dangerous or damaging impact of consuming some of their products. In this respect, happiness is the only concept that is preserved in advertising because of gladness after having purchased the desired product which should be an integral part of our lives, as suggested by the media.
Under the typhoon of continuously varying standards of the media’s perception of fashion, fitness, and the wanted or rejected, the minds commence dropping logic of personal value. Thus, people do not remember the true values and accept the offered ones instead of requiring quality and something that can be really helpful and can benefit their health, body, cultural development, and other things that are essential.
Advertising is a way to promote goods; some of these goods are promoted successfully to the extent that a consumer cannot differentiate between genuine necessity and an obvious attempt to follow the fashion. Justice is abandoned when producers need to sell their goods and services at any cost.
References
Cullen, J. (2001). Popular culture in American history. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Stearns, P. N. (2001). Consumerism in world history: The global transformation of desire. New York, NY: Routledge.