Cultural obsession with the acquisition and consumption of authenticity

Introduction

Cultural obsession defines as the high attraction of people towards a specific culture. With this obsession, people acquire and consume specific objects and become habituated to the phenomena (Bloom, 2003). Modern-day people tend to purchase authentic products, which is becoming a cultural obsession. Research have shown that cultural obsession is not a new concept, as it has existed since the modern era. However, the cultural obsession of people to acquire and consume authentic products has become a major contributor to the new economy of the twenty-first century. The new economy is a term commonly used in media to describe the changes that are taking place due to the adoption of the Internet (Henwood, 2003). Some industries that are becoming part of the new economy are new energy vehicles, new Information Technology and information services, advanced equipment, sports, and entertainment-related objects.

The people are getting obsessed with the products of these industries, which are driving the overall new economy in the twenty-first century. In the whole process of cultural obsession, authenticity is also a factor behind the acquisition and consumption, which is also the driving force of the new economy (Frank, 1998). Considering this factor, this essay aims at discussing the process in which cultural obsession with acquiring and consuming authenticity drives the growth of the new economy in the twenty-first century. The essay will discuss the topic by considering two related examples. The essay will consider the article by Siddhartha Deb and Anna Holmes on the topic of cultural obsession.    

Main body

The changes in people’s culture bring the concept of obsession with culture. The concept of cultural obsession has existed for a long time. In simpler words, the obsession with culture is about people’s tendency to be attracted to new objects. In 1908, a novel written by Well had described the concept of cultural obsession first (Marcus, 1999). According to the novel, people’s tendency towards consuming new objects has been influenced by mass media, standardised goods, and global trade. The development of new products has been known to the people with the concept of mass media’s role in spreading news.

On the other hand, global trade has influenced a specific location or group of people to become familiar with the products of other locations. In the modern-day, the development of new technology is impacting the emergence of new objects, and the approach taken by the company to promote the objects have also been influencing (Scheingold, 1992). For example, people of the modern era have been obsessed with eating in a well-decorated restaurant. In such a case, people are not going to the restaurant for eating purposes. Rather, they are going to the place for taking pictures and posting those on a social media platform.

The obsession of people with posting continuous images on social media has become a cultural obsession that is a result of changes in culture. The availability of products within fingertips is also a factor to be considered in the cultural obsession. As the products are available 24×7 thus, society is becoming obsessed with the objects. While the novel of Wells also explains that cultural blend due to globalisation is also impacting people’s taste in music and other forms of art. For example, in contemporary times, Asian people are attracted to Western culture (Campbell, 1987). The adoption of music, dressing style, and other aspects of Western culture is a result of the influence of the culture. The inclination of the people to a particular culture also influences the overall adaption of different objects and their lifestyle.  

The concept of the new economy relies on industries with high growth and technology. The industries are considered as the driving force behind productivity and economic growth. The concept of the new economy was first introduced in the late 1990s when computers and the internet started to enter the marketplace business and customers. The new economy is shifting from a manufacturing and commodity-based economy (Beckert, 2011). In the process, technologies have been a vital factor in creating new products and services which are difficult for traditional industries to manufacture at a low rate. The development of the new economy has been influenced ever since people started to use technology in their daily lives. The companies belonging to the forefront of the new economy have also become larger organisations compared to those of manufacturing industries (Richins, 2013). In recent times, the new economy has also become a new sensation in redesigning the capitalist system. The necessity to meet the social and environmental goals has forced the world to consider the new economy as an approach to redesign the concept of capitalism.

With the consideration of goals, the new economy-based technological industries are focusing more on the positive impact on the community, good corporate citizenship, and distribution of asset ownership. While the focus on driving profits for the shareholders has become less in the new economy. Over the years, the concept of the new economy has been developed, and it describes itself beyond simple presence on the internet (Swan, 2015). Although the major companies of the new economy, like Amazon, Google, and Facebook, have remained innovative, the scenario is changing. Growth of many subsectors has emerged in the new economy as a sharing economy, gig economy, big data, cloud computing, streaming economy, and artificial intelligence in the past decade (Herzenberg et al., 2018). Considering the existing situation of an economy, it can be said that a product-based economy has come in the bracket of the new economy as manufacturing is mostly dependent on technology. While the service-based industry has always been a part of the new economy as the newly developed services are entirely based on technologies.

Authenticity means people tend to have authentic or genuine products or objects (Potter, 2011). With the cultural obsession, people tend to acquire and consume authentic products, which have become a driver of the new economy. The cultural obsession with the high living standards in the modern era and a lifestyle has forced people to acquire and consume authentic products. The authenticity of having a quality lifestyle by wearing branded dresses, driving high-tech cars, going to a reputable restaurant, or ordering food from app-based food delivery partners is becoming a driver of a new economy in both ways. For example, technology-based new industries are increasing their profit by selling advanced technological products. In simpler words, the new economy-based manufacturing industries are gaining the benefits from the purchasing behaviour of the customers (York, 2014). Indirectly, the technology-based industries are observing the benefits. While the core industries of a new economy, the technology companies, are observing direct advantages. This is because social media is a major part of the industry that has been used by customers to post their daily activities or lifestyle.

In this context, it can be said that the new economy-based industries are getting impacted by the lifestyle-related acquisition and consumption of the customers. Such a tendency of acquisition and consumption have been enforced by the cultural obsession. Researchers have also claimed that newness is a concept that is a continuous process (Scheingold, 1992). Industries or businesses involved in the continuous process of development of new products and services. In the contemporary era of competition in the market, businesses are also moving to develop new products or services. The businesses are considering the psychology of customers related to a cultural obsession which is influencing to manufacture or develop authentic ideas. For example, the cultural obsession of people with social media has influenced the advancement of technologies in the platforms. Users are also getting attracted to such aspects, and it is leading to become a driver of the new economy. Another idea to capture the market and made people attracted to authentic objects has been discussed by Siddhartha Dev. The author claimed that the blend of new and old can be beneficial for businesses to drive the new economy (Nytimes, 2021). For example, the streaming economy, a subsector of the new economy, has been influenced by many people’s cultural obsession with series like Game of Thrones. The businesses are using old concepts written in books to refurbish and present in the online platform. In such a case, the young generation also gets attracted to or influenced by others as it becomes a symbol of advanced culture in society. The streaming economy also becomes a trend, and it leads to the drive of the new economy.

The concept of cultural obsession is quite relatable to a person or group’s influence on others. This is also becoming a major influencing factor behind the acquisition and consumption of authentic objects and driving the new economy. The use of gadgets like the iPhone has become a trend among a particular group of people. The users of the iPhone tend to purchase the advanced versions whenever a new version is launched in the market. Such intention of people reflects on the Anna Homes’ concept of cultural obsession. The lady has explained that people are obsessed with authenticity and newness due to the fear of missing out (Nytimes, 2021). In simpler words, the example can be considered as people’s cultural obsession with trending objects. With such a perception, people tend to purchase a newer version of the iPhone every time it gets updated. Concerning the demand and intention of customers, Apple also manufactures and updates its phones every year. The major amount of sales from the iPhone helps the company to achieve a higher rate of revenue generation. Being a large technological company, Apple also makes a huge amount of contribution to the new economy. Anna Homles, in her explanation, also claimed that young generations are mostly targeted by the company with fear of missing out on trends as their perception matches with such anxiety. According to Anna Homles, the fear of missing out is also becoming a way for new restaurants or food outlets to increase their sales (Nytimes, 2021). The young generation gets attracted to such businesses when it becomes a trend, and it leads to enhance the profit generation rate. Further, the young generation’s intention of uploading pictures and the use of social media also helps the new economy to further continue to grow.

While the application used in the iPhone is only available in the Apple store and with certain charges. Even after charging for applications, iPhone is observing a well business which is a reflection of cultural obsession. The increasing market of the company also reflects on the influence of a particular group on others. Being a company from the new economy, it can be said that the process associated with iPhone marketing is a driver of the new economy (Herzenberg et al., 2018). The cultural obsession of acquiring and consuming with authenticity also reflects on people’s attraction towards monopoly businesses. People’s tendency to purchase the iPhone or other products of Apple reflects on such obsession of customers. Another factor to be considered in the cultural obsession of people with authentic products is the use of electric vehicles. In recent times, the use of handicrafts or innovative products in home decoration has also become a tendency of the people. Such a tendency of people reflects the cultural obsession with acquiring and consuming authentic products. Owing to this reason, companies like IKEA have introduced new products for home decoration. Being a large company with innovativeness and the use of technology, IKEA is also driving the growth of the new economy.   

Conclusion

It is concluded by evaluating the essay topic that the new economy is growing, and the cultural obsession of people is driving the economy. Over the past two decades, people’s obsession with culture has changed, and customers intend to purchase authentic products or services. The development of technology companies has also become influenced by the customers’ obsession with culture. For example, obsession with the use of social media and the use of products like the iPhone has become a major contributor to the new economy. The streaming economy companies have also considered the aspects to make a blend of old and new to make people obsessed with such cultures.

References

Beckert, J., 2011. The transcending power of goods: imaginative value in the economy. Beckert, Jens, 1(1), pp. 106-128.

Bloom, M., 2003. Waxworks: a cultural obsession. 01 ed. Minnesota : U of Minnesota Press.

Campbell, C., 1987. The romantic ethic and the spirit of modern consumerism. 01 ed. Oxford: B. Blackwell.

Frank, T., 1998. The conquest of cool: Business culture, counterculture, and the rise of hip consumerism. 01 ed. Chicago : University of Chicago Press.

Henwood, D., 2003. After the new economy. 01 ed. New York: New Press.

Herzenberg, S., Alic, J. & Wial, H., 2018. New rules for a new economy: Employment and opportunity in post-industrial America. 01 ed. Cornell : Cornell University Press.

Marcus, G., 1999. Dead Elvis: A chronicle of a cultural obsession. 01 ed. Harvard : Harvard University Press.

Nytimes, 2021. What Are the Consequences of Our Cultural Obsession With Newness? [Online]

Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/19/books/review/what-are-the-consequences-of-our-cultural-obsession-with-newness.html[Accessed 08 January 2021].

Potter, A., 2011. The authenticity hoax: How we get lost finding ourselves. 01 ed. London: Emblem Editions.

Richins, M., 2013. When wanting is better than having: Materialism, transformation expectations, and product-evoked emotions in the purchase process. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), pp. 1-18.

Scheingold, S., 1992. The politics of street crime: Criminal process and cultural obsession. 01 ed. Temple : Temple University Press.

Swan, M., 2015. Blockchain: Blueprint for a new economy. 01 ed. London: ” O’Reilly Media, Inc.

York, P., 2014. Authenticity is a Con:(Provocations). 03 ed. London: Biteback Publishing.