Media Alert!
January 2026
BLOG #74
Sue Summers
MediaSavvyKids.org
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:2 (The Message)
THE CONFORMITY OF CONSUMERISM
We’re all consumers in this culture – from toddlers on up! Maybe even from birth! 1 John 2:16 tells us we are born with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. We are the perfect consumer. Watch parents with their young children in a store, allowing them to choose the cereal, candy, or toy they want. As we become older and more sophisticated, and have more money, our judgment regarding what to purchase is impacted by layers of information from: advertisements, signage, peer pressure, celebrity endorsements, social media influencers, family requests, and packaging.
How do we know what’s available to purchase? Prior to the Internet’s influence on us, we would go the store – or perhaps multiple stores – and select from what was on the shelves, or longingly go through the mail order catalogs.
COVID did a lot to make delivery to our door step a norm rather than an anomaly. Delivery services are rampant: grocery stores, department stores, restaurants, and office supply companies. Amazon is truly the elephant in the room! Of course, there are still brick and mortar stores, but the Internet turns the luxury of shopping from home into just an everyday convenience.
“American online spending totaled $1.34 trillion in 2024; projections indicate that online spending will exceed $2.5 trillion by 2030.” (https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/online-shopping-statistics)
Advertising agencies know how to get our attention. Images are enhanced and manipulated to pique our interest. For the most part, TV commercials have no accountability regarding content, and we are bombarded with carefully constructed messages that have been intentionally created to manipulate our wants.
“Advertising significantly influences consumer behavior and lifestyle choices, shaping our preferences, desires, purchasing decisions, unrealistic expectations about beauty and success, materialism and consumerism, self-esteem, and body image… Advertising plays a crucial role in shaping society by shaping our perceptions, thinking, understanding, and actions.” (https://storychanges.com/how-commercials-affect-our-way-of-life.html#google_vignette)
The cost of a 30-second commercial spot during the 2026 Super Bowl during the broadcast window (including pre-game, halftime, and post-game) is set at $8,750,000. Note that this is merely the cost of one 30-second time slot – and does not include the cost of the creation of the ad.
“Facebook Advertising alone has a reach of 2.11 billion people.” (https://webtribunal.net)
Consumerism is at the heart of every affluent culture. “… consumerism culture can foster a sense of dissatisfaction and inadequacy. Individuals constantly compare themselves to others who appear to have more or better possessions.
However, this obsession with material possessions has come at a significant cost, leading to emotional and spiritual disconnection.” (www.trillmag.com/culture/what-has-consumerism-culture-done-to-us-the-shocking-truth)
Ask teens what success will look like in their future and see if their answer is related to the accumulation of material goods – houses, cars, travel, boats, and other personal possessions.
Are we possessed by our possessions? Perhaps!
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
The average American family is filled with consumers. Teens are especially vulnerable to conforming because of peer pressure, social media, and advertising. Adults who discuss what is truly important in life may notice a change in teen spending habits and their outlook on what to buy and who to be. Here a few discussion starters to focus on consumerism and conformity.
• Ask, “How do you know what’s available to purchase?”
• Ask, “What medium do you think is the best one to use to advertise food products?”
• Share and discuss: “Food stylist shows how to make fast food look good” segment from YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCUxgCySu9w)
• Ask, “Have you ever bought something that looked great in an ad or on a TV commercial and then were disappointed?” Have them share their stories.
• Explain that our culture allows advertisers to exaggerate, offer opinions, and even falsify products without penalty. Discuss why they think advertising is so effective.
• Ask, “Why do clothing choices matter?” Ask if they ever feel pressure to dress a certain way. What happens internally if they can’t afford “the look”?
• Ask, “In what ways do we all conform and what causes us to conform?” (Examples: obey laws, wear clothing, go to school, etc.)
• Discuss how conforming seems to be part of the teenage lifestyle.
• Ask, “Are we possessed by our possessions?” Ask teens to consider this verse before they give their answer:
1 John 2:15 (ISV) “Stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father’s love is not in him.”
• Share, “Conforming affects all of us. It takes courage and boldness to ‘go against the flow’.”
• Ask, “In what ways was Jesus a non-conformist? Give specific examples.”
• Continue discussing conformity and consumerism as these topics seem relevant.
• Note: Share this blog with your church’s youth pastor as a lesson for youth group gatherings.
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Sue Summers is a Christian media analyst, teacher, author, and speaker.
She is the Director of Media Alert!
Contact Info:
Blogs: MediaSavvyKids.org
Website: http://www.MediaAlert.org
Email: Sue@MediaAlert.org
#MediaSavvyKids, #ChristianParenting, #ChurchAndCulture, #YouthPastors, #YouthGroupCurriculum, #HelpForChristianParents, #TeensAndCulture, #AChangingCulture, #CriticalThinkingAndTeens, #IAmNotDefinedByTheCulture, #Discernment, #ConsumerismAndTeens, #TheConformityOfConsumerism, #ConformityAndTeens
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Media Alert! 