Why is America Materialistic?

Materialism in America
With a mix of social media and influences from society America has become more materialistic than in recent generations. We are always looking for ways to improve our lifestyles, but when there are youtubers, Instagram models, celebrates, and "trends" we impulsively purchase products we think will improve our life.

Even though the newest pair of shoes or the newest clothing trend may seem like it would improve you confidence and status it actually does not. Multiple studies showed materialists, compared to non-materialists, have lower social and personal well-being. Compulsive and impulsive spending, increased debt, decreased savings, depression, social anxiety, decreased subjective well-being, less psychological need satisfaction.

Although there is a large connections between the media and people spending unnecessary amounts of money, there is also a large connection between the geographic location. Neighborhoods with wealth more financial development, higher median per-capita income, affect individuals’ materialistic values, impulsive buying tendency, and savings behavior. Individuals who were young, poor, and lived around wealth were most vulnerable to engaging in social comparison with idealized, wealthier individuals, and using their scant resources to accumulate possessions to, presumably, convey wealth they did not have. The link has to do with "relative deprivation", or the feeling that people are less well-off than those around them. In this case living in a strong local economy may change individual’s comparison standards and encourage individuals to socially compare with respect to their material belongings, style, and consumption patterns.