Merchants of Cool

I have always understood why large corporations and entities dedicate so much time, money and resources in an attempt to better understand teenagers likes and dislikes but after watching this video I still had one of the same questions… Why? If the marketing media is always trying to pinpoint what is cool to then sell that image, but it is “uncool” by the time it is discovered then why spend so much time learning about something that will soon become obsolete. Of course I understand that the revenue earned from the research that is conducted makes it all worthwhile, why can’t we just accept the mentality that “cool” is always changing and will be determined when something is truly a fad. Sex is inherently everywhere we turn and young teenagers and adults cannot escape it but that doesn’t mean that we should promote promiscuity and the ideas of perfect bodies to today youth. Teenagers are bombarded with around 3,000 advertisements a day, which should raise no doubt around the idea that they run today’s economy. With over 33 million of us spending an exponential amount of money like never seen before, we have the media and disposable income to blame for our savvy spending. I believe the media and the corporation that promote the exorbitant amount of advertisements we’re exposed to have gone way over the top in terms of their tactics and techniques of product exposure. This consumer spending is not wholly benefiting our society. We are deeply affected by affluenza- A made up word pertaining to the need to continually consume worthless possessions because we think they solve other problems we are faced with. However, just become some may feel that this marketing approach has gone to far it doesn’t show any serious signs of slowing. Any according to the corporations in charge, why should it? They are generating more sales than ever and are extremely successful at what they do. My friend who interned at Sony two summers ago got an inside look at how the music industry truly works. The average person assumes that we the consumers shape who makes or breaks it as a star but in fact it is the large companies like Sony and Epic Records who find someone to fulfill a certain image and then they promote their material and design to us so we can hopefully like them and then, tada! Another star is born. But of course now I am studying to way they are studying me and my generation of music loving teens, so in the end it is appears to be a large never ending ring of research and appeal.