How Is Consumerism Affecting American Culture

In 1964, a young Korean man moved to New York for the first time. He became fascinated with the fast paced action of the city and commercialized world around him. He noted the bright lights, big screens, and skyscrapers within the city. However, with all of these things he could not help but be distracted by the distinct lack of interaction between people. The people around him were more focused on what was happening on the screen than the communities around them. He made a piece that would represent how he felt. That man was Nam June Paik, and that piece; The Electronic Superhighway. Paik noticed that consumerism and entertainment were negatively effecting the American culture. Americans were focused on fake luxury goods rather than real life. In the 19th Century, Thorsteen Velben studied America 's behavior towards consumption. He too took note in America 's obsession with consumption, media, and self image. He coined the term Conspicious concumption indicating that people acquire luxury items in an attempt to

This is not to say every single screen within Electronic Superhighway is a display of fake, misrepresented consumption created by the televised world. There are legitimate scenes of nature within this piece. Wyoming, Alaska, and Utah all showcase landscapes of their environments that show no indication of consumerism anywhere. However, these scenes are lost within the chaotic mess that is the rest of the piece. Utah and Wyoming are sirounded by flashing lights, fast paced action, and frequent screen jumping. Alaska is completely separate from the rest of the action. People may stare at it for a small moment, but similarly to the real Alaska, forget to remember that it is even there. As Conspicious Consumerism would argue, because they do not showcase the luxury goods and services found in the other states, they are seen as bland and insignificant. However, in reality, these clips are the ones that are the most realistic to how America