America's Values or the Lack Thereof

For my Teen Leadership class I was asked to write a one page paper about how America's values have changed over the last 30 years. My paper ended up being a rant of sorts, so I thought I'd share it with you guys. My once in a blue moon eloquency finally came out. Yippee!

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America’s Values or the Lack Thereof

America’s values have definitely changed over the course of 30 years. Although America often views change as a positive idea, in my opinion, this change was clearly for the worse.
Innovation is a great thing. Cars, film, computer, industry; all these things have helped shape America and make it what it is today. Through these things we’ve built our economy and created a positive image for ourselves as well as strengthening our foreign policies through trade. However, when we’ve gone past essentials, past luxuries and into an area of sheer excessiveness, it makes us question our values. Are our values that of new, innovational breakthroughs or are our values that of status symbols, money and gaining way past our business competitors? Are companies’ ideas simply to appease to peoples’ natural apathy or to make the world a better place? With the release of cell phone after cell phone and products beginning with “i”, one should begin to wonder, when will something that actually matters find its way to the surface?
Not only has America’s quickening interest in material objects meant a nosedive for moral values but also a lack of uniqueness. Everyone has gotten a new game system, therefore in order to be cool, I must get it. Everyone is trash talking so and so, therefore in order to be cool, I must follow suit. Everyone is listening to this band… Everyone is smoking pot… Everyone is going on this diet… America’s people have a growing dependence on other people thinking for them, such as their church or the people whom they are surrounded by. Everyone has a brain, but few actually choose to utilize it. Therefore, they never establish their own values. With the rise of the media, superficial magazines, propaganda, gossip and the sudden interest in bashing other human beings, people have quickly lost sight of their own minds and morals.
Of course, I am not saying that all Americans exposed to these factors will automatically succumb to popular opinion, but the lack of positive values reflected in every magazine, on the radio, on television will inevitably leave an impression on every individual.
30 years ago, people dared to think differently. 30 years later, we are trapped in a bankruptcy of morality because it’s not very well accepted to step outside of the mainstream. The value I hold near and dear, uniqueness is not a common value of America’s present-day society.

I agree with the part about media and corporations being responsible for the collapse in American morality. A lot of people think the blame should be placed on atheists or homosexuals or whatever lifestyle is the villain of the month, but the reality is that morals and wealth building usually don't go hand-in-hand.

However, I disagree that people look down on uniqueness. As it is right now, it's definately easier to coast through life if you aren't "rocking the boat," so to speak. But that's not the same as frowning on people being unique. When an employer picks someone for a job, they pick the person who stands out positively from the rest of the applicants. We all form our close relationships with people who, in our opinion, stand out as being unique from everyone else.

I think it's a great paper though. It makes a good point, and it's well written. You must be smart or something. I bet you get an A in that class.

People don't look down on uniqueness. I don't think I said that anywhere in there. I was just saing that people lack uniqueness. A lot of times because people are too scared to stray from the mainstream such as being anything other than a Christian or anything other than a capitalist; being a minority is looked down upon, that being included in uniqueness.

I think I probably could've worded it better. Thanks for the feedback!!

Oh, I see what you mean. You worded perfectly, I read horribly. I probably shouldn't read when I'm tired. :-)

Good post. And your so very right. America is really starting to go down hill now.