"I Want it All"

The youth of today are highly exposed to technology and the media. Most of us follow the newest trends that come up almost every week. That being said, I feel pessimistic about the youth of today because we are materialistic.
First of all, kids want everything they see on television because of the many advertisements of new products. We see many kids with their parents playing on their iPads and such, in the metro, in the bus, even at family parties. All they want to pay attention to is their devices. Also, many kids and young adults go through the search for identity and tend to imitate their idols through the media.

Photo source: Michele Borta

There's also the pressure towards children in being "cool". Kids want to have what's new in the market to show off to their friends in order to fit in. The author of "No Logo", Naomi Klein, claims that in the 1990s, there's been are discovery by corporations that the youth market was able and willing to pay any price in order to be "cool". I still feel that it is the same today since many young kids are starting to have their own iPhones and computers.
According the University of Michigan Health System, 71% of youth from 8- to 18-year-olds have televisions in their room. This just shows the high number of kids that are exposed to the media and are therefore more likely materialistic.

Photo source: Bitescience

On an article I've read by Beth Chee, it was mentioned that there has been a study that revealed that teen materialism was at its peak when advertising spending made up a larger percentage of the US economy. Jean M. Twenge, SDSU psychology professor, said that this study "suggests that advertising may play a crucial role in the development of youth materialism". I may have to agree with her. Companies are desperate in selling their products so, of course, they need persuasive advertisement. There has also been fashion marketers such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Guess that use provocative marketing campaigns that feature young adults. These kinds of advertisements not only lead to other teens wanting to buy these companies' clothes, but also in dressing up inappropriately. But that's not what we're focusing on here.
According to Margo Maine, PhD, psychologist, the constant exposure to commercials promising beauty, popularity, self-confidence and great relationships make many young girls into insistent consumers. This just proves that heavy impact of the media towards young adults and children of today.
On final thought, though there are many things to be proud of about youth today, like their intelligence, I'm still pretty pessimistic about today's youth because we are materialistic and I think we will always be this way as technology evolves.