Materialism and Depression: Effects of the American Media

Abstract

In the past century, the U.S. has witnessed a dramatic explosion of advertising messages and materialistic desires for luxury and leisure products. The American media have propagated these messages through movies, musics, cartoons, etc., influencing the American perception of happiness. Overall, an analysis through the scientific, economic, and social angles shows that the materialistic pursuit of happiness leads to diminished subjective well-being and more serious mental health issues. As friendship deficit seems to be a principal cause of depression, a feasible solution to this could be giving priority of friendships over commodities.