Material Goods and Happiness–Can “Things” Buy Us Happiness?

For this essay, you will think about the reading we have done on happiness and wealth/materialism, and respond to one of the following prompts: Option 1 Social critics have charged advertising with numerous offenses; a major offense is that advertising fosters materialism. Discuss to what extent advertisements create needs in consumers and then imply that through the accumulation of products those needs will be fulfilled. Is this relationship the way to find true happiness, according to what we have read/viewed? Things to Shoot For Show that you have carefully read the texts from this unit, and that you have fully digested and considered the different viewpoints and evidence. Feel free to also include outside research. Show you are really thinking about the topic – these are complex issues, so don‟t settle for easy answers. And don‟t feel that you have to take an either-or position. Write so that someone not in our class could understand it. Assume your audience has not read these texts. That means you’ll need to briefly summarize key ideas/information and explain any unfamiliar terms. If you use the exact words from something you’ve read, be sure to put those inside “quotes” in your essay so that readers know you’ve borrowed another writer’s wording. Essay should be 4-5 full pages (not including the Works Cited page), typed, 12 point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins. Reference at least three texts (at minimum) we have read. Your essay must adhere to MLA formatting. This three-minute videoLinks to an external site. is very informative, and I strongly suggest you watch it. This templateLinks to an external site. from our text is also great.