Materialism in America

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My first evening in New York City is one that I shall never forget. It was one of the most thrilling, memorable and horrifying experiences I have ever had. When I arrived in New York I was filled with enthusiasm and ready to explore the city that never sleeps. I conveyed this excitement to my Hotel Concierge, who advised me to visit Times Square. I began to walk from my hotel, which was located near Central Park to Times Square. As I drew closer, the sounds of the horse chariots were replaced with the buzzing sound of over 350,000 people who come to visit Times Square everyday (advertised in Time Square). I found myself emerged in the crowd of people and surrounded by larger-than-life television screens that display over 1.5 million advertisements daily (True Tales of Times Square). These advertisements were in bright colors and had famous actors and TV celebrities who promoted various cosmetic, clothing and food industry products.

This chaos was coupled with the voice of a man screaming “One time offer only, 50 percent off on all items” from inside the store. I instantly whipped out my wallet and bought a few clothing items, that would soon join an already overflowing closet. Other than the bright lights and sale offers, I also saw people sitting by the streets to have portraits of themselves painted, others were busy getting pictures clicked with actors dressed in Spiderman, Hulk and Statue of Liberty costumes.

After two hours in Times Square, I began my walk back to my hotel room during which a shocking realization hit me. I realized that while watching the thousands of visitors in Times Square, I missed noticing the homeless panhandlers that sit on the sidewalk asking for “a penny to spare”. I began to reflect on divers...

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...ding Statistics." Statistic Brain RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.

"Teenagers Do Grow More Materialistic: Study." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 16 Jan. 2007. Web. 01 May 2014.

"Thousands of Member SurgeonsOne High Standard." American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.

"Three Reasons US Rich Don't Give More to Charity." CNBC.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.

"True Tales of Times Square." : Big Bright Billboards. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.

Wallace, Amy. "Checkmate at the Yellowstone Club." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 June 2009. Web. 05 May 2014.

"What Is the American Dream." About.com US Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

"What Is the American Dream?" The American Dream -. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.

Women, Money Wise. "Average America vs the One Percent." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 01 May 2014.

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