By: Marki Kaim & Katie Weber
It is common knowledge that teens live in a society where material objects are as important as family values. Materialism, a tendency to hold material objects as a high priority, is a defining characteristic of this generation. Generally speaking, high schoolers feel the pressures of materialism as a result of the desire to fit in or project a certain image. Elk Grove students vary in their views of materialism.
When it comes to fitting in, the logic seems to be if students look a certain way, they will be accepted by people who resemble them.
Junior Shannon Chan believes the importance of material objects varies with who she is with. “If they have it, I feel out of place if I don’t.” Whether students admit it or not, having certain possessions is extremely important in some social groups.
In addition to simply fitting in, it is very easy to judge someone based on how they appear. People who appear trendy by wearing certain designers’ clothing are perceived as having a social advantage over those who do not.
Material objects are important in high school senior Jake Braceros said. “A lot of people judge you on what you are wearing.”
Freshman Taylor Matos feels the pressure of having brand name clothing as well. These brands “are pretty important- it definitely shows an image of you,” she said.
One’s personality is judged before someone even talks to him or her based on the material objects that this person carries, wears and talks about. Studies from the University of California, suggest that it takes only 20 seconds for initial judgements to be made of a person.
Someone who might appear to be overly materialistic seems to be “stuck up…and might not be the person I want to hang out with,” sophomore Brian Keegan said.
On the other hand, some students have a very different perspective of others who are overly materialistic.
“It has to do with low self-esteem. If they care that much about little things like that, they care a lot about what other people think of them,” junior Esmeralda Silva said.
Materialism is not always problematic. Some students say that brand names are only important if they promise quality. Brand names are most important to Keegan when dealing with finding athletic wear with the highest possible quality.
Additionally, other students use the effects of materialism to their advantage by learning smart shopping skills. Sophomore Aleece Duffy “looks for a good price” before buying trendy items.
Too much emphasis on materialism can drastically affect the quality of one’s life. It is commonly said that one cannot buy happiness- University of Illinois psychology professor Ed Diener confirms this. Those who value genuine happiness over material possessions experience more positive moods than those who value material possession more, he said.
Extreme materialism can cause people to lose sight of what is important. Chan sees this happen.
“I think materialism has a negative impact because people want to focus on getting certain objects. They don’t care about having fun.”
Clearly, there are many negative effects of materialism.
So do Elk Grove students have to worry about the problems associated with materialism? There is a lack of agreement among students.
Silva believes that teens do indeed have a problem. Materialism breads competition among students; everyone wants to compete to have the best possessions.
Matos sees things differently, claiming that there is not more emphasis on brand names in Elk Grove in comparison to other places.
The long-term effects of materialism can be damaging to students’ emotional well-being. Those who use material objects to create an image for themselves may end up facing some of these negative consequences. However, if students continue to correctly prioritize material objects, it is safe to say that they will lead a fulfilling life no matter what they own.