Discuss The Merchants of Cool

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The Merchants of Cool
The documentary’s introductory remarks that today’s youths more than any other generation are captives of the media raises concerns whether indeed today’s young people have lost their cultural identity. Studies show that American children are spending close to 14 hours of television per week. The studies further reveal that by the time the average teenager graduates from high school he/she would have consumed more TV than classwork (Russell 89). Based on these revelations I think it is true that today’s young population lacks a cultural identity considering that children become what they are told, see or taught. Unfortunately, the media does not teach the youths about the true societal norms and values, but rather it manipulates the continent they air to lure youths to buy certain products.
As evident in the documentary, at the heart of the media’s manipulation games is the concept of being ‘cool.’ To sell the concept of ‘cool’ the media has found that advertisements, music, and violence are the greatest selling points. However, researchers contend that the word ‘cool’ started in the 1920s and has been passed down to generations to date. The media depicts people who are violent and alcoholic as being cool a trait that is then picked by teenagers watching such content. In fact, recent studies indicate that the amount of violence on TV is increasing (Anderson et al. 4). It is argued that the average young person sees over 12,000 violent acts on TV each year.

Perhaps this explains the increased aggressive behavior among teens especially boys.
Also, as rightly revealed by the documentary, the media is increasingly viewing the increased teenage TV viewership as a vital consumer market. The media and marketers have exploited the ‘cool’ concept to advertise alcohol and tobacco products to young people to promote brand loyalty (Bird & Tapp 6). Marketers in segments such as the retail and fashion industries are also increasing their efforts to advertise to young people. Researchers contend that this is partly due to the fact that today’s teenagers unlike in the past have access to ample discretionary money. It is believed that over 60% of youth get an allowance from their parents (Bickham 138). While this may be the case, commercialization and advertising to the youths is problematic because it promotes deviant behaviors among teenagers which ironically is something the society is struggling to fight.
Works Cited
Anderson, Craig A., et al. “The influence of media violence on youth.” Psychological science in the public interest 4.3 (2003): 81-110.
Bickham, David S. “Plugged in: how media attract and affect youth.” (2017): 372-375.
Bird, Sara, and Alan Tapp. “Social marketing and the meaning of cool.” Social Marketing Quarterly 14.1 (2008): 18-29.
Russell, Katherine. The changing face of youth: mass media culture and the life of the American teen. Diss. 2007.