As Jean Baudrillard asserts, "Affluence is merely the accumulation of the signs of happiness". And at Phillips Academy, there are more signs than one can count. While coming to Phillips Academy is a status symbol in and of itself, once here students scurry to have the latest items asserting their social status. Whether or not students are aware of this pattern is debatable, but the fact that trends go through our little community is beyond question. Clothes, electronics, accessories, etc. Students use all of these objects to become part of a group and achieve the perceived social status that comes with them.
Clothes have always been a symbol of one's status, and Phillips Academy students are certainly no exception. Students come from every corner of the country, and multiple places throughout the world. But despite these geographic differences and the inherently different fashion trends of those places, there are a few trends that tend to dominate campus. The northeastern trend of peacoats has become a dominate theme throughout the colder seasons. Uggs, Timberlands, Dunks, Nikes, these 4 types of shoes encompass a majority of the shoewear on campus. But above all, the most dominate clothing company is the North Face. Though it presents itself as an outdoorsy company like Patagonia or REI, it has somehow found a very large niche in the not so rugged campus of Andover. Whether its backpacks or jackets or shoes, many Andover students subscribe to these trends in an attempt to belong to a larger group or idea.
Students also use electronics to show off an image of affluence. Once, Razors were the popular phone on campus, but since the introduction of the iPhone, no other phone has come close to asserting an air of affluence. Having apps and features has become less about what they do, and more about how many you have. And rich students are not the only ones buying into this idea of affluence. I have known many financial aid students who have petitioned Adam Ventre not only for a computer or an mp3 player, but specifically for Macbooks and iPods. They aren't the best electronics or necessary for that matter, but nonetheless these students (along with many others) feel the need to have these products.
So what can we do to combat these trends and the need to present this image of affluence? What we have to keep in mind is that these objects are merely a sign of happiness, but not happiness themselves. Having an object, no matter how popular or expensive, cannot bring happiness itself, despite what advertisers have tried to make us believe. This does not just apply to objects but also institutions. Colleges, degrees, and even Phillips Academy are all status symbols that do not necessarily live up to the expectations and image that they present. Getting into a certain college will not secure your happiness for the rest of your life, and believing so is naive and foolish. Just look at PA. This is one of the most prestigious secondary schools in the world, yet being here does not automatically make you happy. There are plenty of unhappy people here. And while it may be difficult to separate the idea of affluence from happiness and from a recent trend or object (I also have a tough time doing it), doing so will result in a much more permanent and real sense of happiness.
Works Cited:
Jean Baudrillard's "The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Phillips_Academy,_Andover,_MA_-_Samuel_Phillips_Hall.JPG
No comments:
Post a Comment