Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Merchants of Cool

After viewing Merchants of Cool, I realized how much teenagers affect the culture, economy, and society of today’s world. One of the more important factors of the consumption of teenagers today is their apparel. Why do they wear certain styles or brands? How does having or not having the trendy, clothing help or hinder a teenager’s self-confidence? It is commonly known, in all age categories, that clothing can be a status symbol. However, teens can be almost obsessive about this. From the need to be accepted comes the inevitable question, for with the answer is always changing: what kind of clothing do teenagers need to “fit in”? Due to teenagers’ uncertainty, they collect tangible possessions to fill voids.  And because of the same uncertainty, teens are always searching for new fads and trends, which adapt and change constantly. Teens see clothing as symbolic. These cotton representations say, “This is me. This is how I want you to see me”.  Seeking the right style can be difficult for them, because they are always changing their minds on what they like while still trying to conform to their peers’ views. Companies are continuously attempting to create bring out the “new thing”, the focus being on the teens. Since teens are the majority group of spenders, these same companies know they can appeal to the teens and affect the way they view cool.  Therefore, teenagers have a huge impact on what is produced in today’s society whilst affecting the economy by how much they spend, because clothes are important to them.

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