The “culture industry” theory written by Theodor Adorno claims that popular culture comes from a small group of powerful corporations specifically designed to provide standardized commodities to their audience, with few changes made to new products (O’Brien and Szeman 120). Adorno also claims that the “culture industry” provides consumers with a sense of pseudo-individualization, where one believes that consuming something made for the “masses” provides them with a feeling of uniqueness or individuality (12). This essay will show that although Adorno wrote his article over thirty-six years ago, his claims are still valid with modern examples. Mobile phones, particularly “Smartphones” have become commodities which show the standardization and pseudo-individualization expressed in Adorno’s writings. Mobile phones express his belief that commodities offer uniformity and sameness in the guise of innovation and improvement (O’Brien and Szeman 120). Mobile phones are mass produced by large corporations for the public each year, with limited aesthetic changes to their design, and newly “tweaked” features. These changes are made in order to keep the consumer spending money on the company’s products, while also satisfying the consumer with the belief of a new, unique product. Mobile phones are examples of how “commodified” society has become, as Nielsen estimates that “1 in 2 Americans Will Have a Smartphone by Christmas 2011” (Entner). Mobile phones have become an integral part of modern society, with businesses and people relying on them. Entire companies have been formed to repair or sell accessories for phones made by other companies. most mobile phones perform the same tasks regardless of the manufacturer, the only thing that separat... ... middle of paper ... ... are made to consumer goods is to “mask a skeleton which has changed just as little as the profit motive itself since the time it first gained its predominance over culture” (Adorno 14). Adorno’s writings are still as relevant today, as when he wrote them. The issues he discusses will exist for as long as capitalism does as they are closely interwoven with the beliefs of a capitalist society. The standardization and lack of individuality of mobile phones, reinforces Adorno’s belief that the culture industry works only for profit, and that the corporations pay little attention to the individual people who make up their industry (13). Large companies are still selling similar goods yearly with little or no improvement over the previous year’s model. They offer little individualization to consumers, and provide them with only superficial ways of expressing identity.
Products of the culture economy take on the appearance of artwork but are in fact dependant on industry and economy, meaning that they are subjected to the interests of money and power and producing a profit “The whole world is passed through the filter of the culture industry” . To Adorno the production of art and consumerism is driven and shaped by the logic of capitalist rationality, meaning consumer products are created on the basis of whatever will sell best.
In the article entitled, “Our Cell Phones Ourselves”, Christine Rosen describes how cell phones have changed the way we communicate. Rosen tells the readers the main purpose for cell phone use in the past, versus present day. Her purpose is to make society aware of how cell phones have influenced our lives in order to inspire change as to how we view our cell phones. Rosen directs her writing to everyone in the present day by describing the negative results of cell phone use and how it impacts our lives and those around us. Without a doubt, cell phones are going to be a part of our world, but it is the responsibility of every cell phone owner to exercise self control and understand that a cell phone is nothing more than a device.
There are many people who are driven by consumerism and many people who wish they can get in touch with that type of world. Consumers are often promoted to advertise more of the products that they are buying to get more people to buy more products. Hari Kunzru, author of “Raj, Bohemian,” creates a narrator who is obsessed with maintaining his individuality and free will in a world that is overcome with consumerism. Believes that the world takes away individuality when consumerism comes into play and how hard it is to maintain their true self. In her LA Times article “Teen Haulers Create a Fashion Force,” Andrea Chang writes about the phenomenon of teenage Youtube users who make videos that publicize their latest shopping binges. She expresses
Thesis: Twenge affectively uses emotional appeals to persuade her readers into believing that the excessive use of smartphone has ruined a generation.
“One hundred and thirty-thousand computers are thrown out every day in the U.S., and over one hundred million cell phones every year” (CBS News). We live in a materialistic society where more is good and the newer the better. In our fast paced lives companies used this to their advantage to continual bring out newer upd...
As a result they create there ideology of what and how they feel about the society. It is also believed that popular culture diverts people from what is important and considered beneficiary to the elite. This ideology conceals the reality of domination from those power (Storey 2006). The categorization of what is popular culture and what is classical culture over the years has been onesignificant issue when it comes to ideological practices.Popular culture in pre-modern societies, was integrated and inseparable from day to day life routines. Again culture became commercialized. For instance in modern society the manner in which object are manufactured and the massage the products communicate has not only affected how people view them but also they use them. Again people use this product despite of them having no clue of how they are produced. That is “the negative effects of popular culture were very clear to Walter Benjamin, who argued that mechanical reproduction of arts removes the ‘aura’ from that work. (Kidd, 2007, p. 74).the consequences of this process is that people don’t know or get to learn the traditional way of production of get to learn from those who produced cultural objects.People ability to think independently and critically have been greatly undermined by the introduction of the
With the rise of industrialization, globalization, and mass production, the manufacturing productivity has been dramatically increased and accordingly the availability of consumer goods. And with the rise of the mass media, various products have been targeted on broad groups of consumers. Consumerism, which is propelled by a system of mass production and high levels of consumption, has been one of the themes in art works from twentieth century till now.
A common theme is taking place where as people feel that cell phones are starting to take over others daily lives. Many people go through their day to day lives not even relizing how often they are on their cell phones. In the article, “Our Cell Phones, Ourselves” the author Christine Rosen talks about how cell phones are starting to become a necessity in every way towards peoples lives. Rosen talks about both the good and bad effects of cell phones and how they have changed the way in which we work our daily life. Although I think cell phones can be necissary, the constant need for use could be the beginning of how cell phones will take over our every day lives.
In the essay “Our Cell Phones, Our Selves” written by Christine Rosen, the author presents a brief history on how cell phones were introduced into society and how this artifact changed people’s interactions in the physical space. Rosen describes the first cell phone that appeared in 1983 as “hardly elegant,” big and expensive (458). Cell phones at that time were mainly used by important and affluent people. However, seven years later, cell phones became smaller and affordable provoking a big change in society. This big technological advance did not only affect the United States, but the entire world.
Telecommunications gained mainstream attention in the early 90’s; however the initial key market was business men and women, who used their phones whilst being on the move and so allowing them to communicate with their companies with ease. Though in the modern era, telecommunication went through segmentation in the market trends, and now in this day and age it would be difficult to find someone who does not own some form of mobile technology. Many phone providers battle to provide the best service for their customers (Figure 1).
Rippin, Hannah. “The Mobile Phone in Everyday Life.” Fast Capitalism. 2005. Web. 14 Feb, 2014.
As Gore Vidal once said: “The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return” (Vidal, N/A). In our society, the ruling ideas are easily believed and taken as “true.” Advertisements sell ideas and lifestyles rather than objects; people consent to the ruling ideas which in turn make them less of an individual. Although we may live in a culture industry that controls what people believe is right or wrong, there is always a struggle for power. According to C. Wright Mills and Nina Eliasoph, in order to create a struggle and challenge the ruling ideas, developing a “sociological imagination” is crucial. The ruling ideas work by creating notions of our culture and giving one false needs which in turn help maintain the status quo.
Sigmund Freud was the initiator of psychoanalysis. He altered the insight into the human mind and how it works. It spurred him into defining the unconscious and what was for him the powerhouse of personality – irrational motivation. The series examines profound queries surrounding the origins and techniques of contemporary consumerism, commodification, typical democracy and its consequences. It furthermore looks at the current manner we perceive ourselves, the outlooks to fashion and superficiality. Freud's findings in connection with the mind were methodically applied by corporate America and the U.S. government to raise their capital and authority. This technique also provided the impre...
In today’s world the vast majority of the population owns a cell phone. Cell phones are a huge part of people’s everyday lives. Since the 1940’s when mobile phones became available for automobiles, phone companies have made huge strides in making mobile phones more efficient, much smaller, and more available for anyone to use. There was a time where only people of wealth had these types of mobile phones. Now people from all social classes own a cell phone. They are extremely convenient and have the ability to do just about anything you can think of. There is an “app” for everything. You can make phone calls, text message, surf the web, pay your bills, read books, catch up on social media, and even listen to you music all from one small handheld device. Cell phones play a huge role in today’s economy. Businesses such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have become huge public corporations with large stakes in the stock market. Between these companies among several other phone companies they have created millions of jobs and opportunities. Cell phone companies have now created what are known as “smart phones”. These phones are typically slim and sleek and have countless versatile abilities. However, cell phones have not always been so “smart” or small for that matter.
The year is 2014, the markets are changing constantly, and they always have to meet the needs of new consumers as well as old consumers. Mobile telephones have been in the retail and wholesale business for quite some time, and are only evolving from here on out. There are things that these cell phones can bring us that are major benefits in our everyday lives. Cell phones bring us maps, radios, address books, and even flashlights now. Cell phones have taken shape from a huge portable device to a more convenient thin device that can fit in your pocket. With time in any consumer market, the consumer adapts to the technology that makes their life easier. The constant innovation of cell phones has led us to smart phones, and these smart phones are capable of putting certain businesses out of the market. Businesses that engineered PDAs in the past were met with challenges because smart phones are able to match their productivity. Land lines have become useless since everyone can afford a mobile device now. Listening to music has also switched from a traditional CD Player/MP3 Player to an everyday smart phone.