Overview:

 For one of my classes I have been assigned to create this blog dealing with my experiences, reactions to, and interactions with the media.

Today in class we discussed how our American culture is driven by technology and technological advancements.  This country is fueled by the output of media through increasingly electronic mediums and digital devices.  One of the problems with this overwhelming transition to the electronic world is that people are starting to be more and more dependent on material objects.  As the woman in the Story of Stuff video said, now more than ever, people are finding happiness through consumption of material goods. It is part of our daily routine: go to work, come home exhausted only to be bombarded by advertisements telling us we aren't good enough, then buying insignificant, arbitrary things that can readily be replaced insight of making us feel better, and then repeating the cycle.

After hearing this, I started thinking how this applies to my life.  Shopping is something that I have been doing for a while now.  My mom loves to shop and is sometimes referred to by others as a shop-aholic. She works very hard, which is why my dad doesn't hassle her too much when she comes home with more unnecessary things every week. One activity my mom and I do together is shop (mostly for clothes), so unfortunately over time, I was passed down the shopping "gene." Now that I think about it, shopping does make me feel better. Sometimes after a vigorous week of classes, some friends and I go to the mall and release our stress by trying on and buying clothes and jewelry. I find that sometimes I have cravings to shop and consume.  I realize now though that this is all part of the plan. The more I think about it, the less real I find this enjoyment that I get out of shopping to be.  It sounds ridiculous to say that it makes me feel better to buy a new material thing.  I am no longer going to compensate for my harsh work week by buying tangible goods.  It's time to stop recycling money to greedy corporations and to start finding satisfaction through real experiences.  Our planet has so much to offer and it really is time to start taking advantage of that instead of buying into all of our man-made creations.