Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Where Did It All Go Wrong?
The average American listens to four hours of music per day (Stutz). Assuming the average American gets eight hours of sleep per night, they spend 25 percent of the time they are awake listening to music. What message is conveyed in the lyrics? Today’s media is overflowing with materialistic ideas that arguably border on nonsense. Gossip magazines cover which celebrities are cheating on their spouses, or what products are endorsed by the rich and famous. Sports magazines talk about the hottest brand of basketball shoes that will make you “the freshest player on the court.” American culture is being consumed by materialism. Society has led the average American to believe that materials are the key to fulfillment. How deep does this reach into our culture? Stated in the Declaration of Independence is the American Dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Even this core American ideal has been warped by modern materialism. The current, and most prominent, interpretation of the American Dream that is conveyed through today’s pop culture, specifically music, is the pursuit of happiness through monetary gain, social elitism, and extravagance. Sadly, this version of the American Dream is materialistic; it can only lead to short term gratification and, ultimately, the decay of the quality of life within society as a whole. The true path to gaining personal growth and fulfillment in life is thinking beyond oneself by contributing to global issues to make a positive change and raising others up.
