Quinn Rovner
Dr. Malsberger
America’s Consumer Nation
7 May 2020
To Join or Not to Join…
Personally, I was always told to “never let a good thing go” and to “hold on to what makes
you happy”. These statements can be used to describe my mindset after reading Abbie Hoffman’s
critique of the American consumer culture, Steal This Book. With his urging of the audience to
“[escape] the prison that is America” (Hoffman), the idea of the counterculture is presented as the
gateway to liberation and consumer freedom in America. After reading, I didn’t gain a sudden urge
to join any counterculture and leave all the good things in my life behind. I have so much in my
life already, and at such a young age. It would not be beneficial for me to throw all of that away,
in hopes of joining a revolution that is clouded with uncertainty as to if change will ever occur at
all. I am comfortable with where I am and being a part of the growing consumer culture in America.
As we approach the beginning of the 1970’s, we look back and see all that consumerism
has done for America. With countless new inventions and the introductions of radio technology
and advertising, the consumer culture is at a thriving state. Businesses are benefitting and the
economy is flourishing. The future of consumer America is looking bright, yet there are groups of
people who look down upon consumerism. The counterculture in America aims to spread ideas
about consuming less and spending more time viewing ourselves as people and on other important
things. They believe that material possessions are a waste of time and money, and the purchasing
of such is highly frowned upon. It seems as though this counterculture is a movement not only
focused on consumerism and materialistic objects, but also a social movement that holds
ideologies on how to live a purer lifestyle. This group is filled with many members of the younger
generation, those of which who do not follow in the footsteps of their past generations. They create
a new way of living life, one that involves less consumption and more free flowing movements
and ideas. This group also ties in with the hippie movement, who oppose mainstream American
mores and advocate for peace and more unconventional lifestyles. They do and live as they please
and refrain from being a member of material America. All in all, this group within society, or
rather the dropouts of society, have their own unique way of living and functioning in America.
They too do consume, but on a much smaller and cheaper scale. Their methods of acquiring goods
are more based around hand-me-downs, and free to low cost items. They also have brief
appearances on radio networks and television ads where they share their ideas and beliefs on
consumer America. They are minimalists, and if that is how they wish to live their life, then so be
it. I’m sure they are very happy with the way they are living during this time, but eventually, times
will change, and they can either change with them, or be cast out even further.
With the spot that I am currently in, to me, it does not make much sense to get rid of
everything I have, just to join the counterculture and have less. Being an 18-year-old kid, who has
lived his whole life in an affluent suburban neighborhood, has gotten into a very good college, and
just received a new car from his parents, sounds way better than what I could have by dropping
out of society to be amongst these people. I am living the life right now and everything seems to
be going in the right direction for me. My future is looking bright and it would be foolish of me to
leave school. The next couple of years are so important in developing my career and social skills,
which I will need to utilize in the future when looking for work in a career field of my choosing. I
also need to think about my parents and their lives. They have sacrificed so much and worked so
hard for me to get to where I am today. I would feel so guilty and ashamed with throwing
everything away and just leaving. I want to make my parents proud and show them that I am
capable of doing something with my life; dropping out of society to join a counterculture group
with limited advancement is not the way of doing so.
Not only is school a big factor in my decision, but also consuming in general. If there was
an opportunity to purchase any item, any item at all, in a newer condition or model or with more
gadgets, I am going to take that opportunity. I would rather acquire the next best version of
something than stick with one that is falling apart, or I have little use for anymore. I’m sure that
most people can purchase a specific good and use it for a multitude of years, which is not what
I’m saying they shouldn’t do. My case is that for example, with the new Pontiac GTO that my
parents bought me, if that were to begin to break down and impede my transportation in any way,
I am eventually going to want to purchase a more promising vehicle. This is what consumerism is
all about; purchasing newer and more useful items is a normal part of the consumer culture in
America. I am not going to throw all of that away for something that I do not believe in. I have
lived one way my entire life and I would be so lost and confused in the world if I were to drastically
change my lifestyle and become someone I am not.
Consuming is a freedom that we as Americans have. We have the choice of purchasing
what we want, when we want it, and from wherever that something may be. We have been a
consuming nation since the origins of our country, so why stop now? It is important to take
advantage of the opportunities that we have in life and make the most of it. It is silly to me that
people are willing to give up everything just to live a certain way, in protest of how others go about
their lives. It all comes down to individual preference. People can still be consumers and have the
mindset that not every material object needs to be purchased; they can know their limits. In the
end, I want to remain a consumer within this growing nation and purchase items that I believe will
make my life easier, happier, and more adventurous.