The popular culture of America has seen significant change over the years. As the wheels of change have rolled forward, so have the ideals and attitudes of the American people. This country was originally founded on Christian values which include truth, honor and freedom for all. These founding ideals remain today, but they have become more relaxed and carry less of a weight than they used to. Family standards in general, seem to have dropped in time too. It is inevitable that with progress comes change in many forms. The trick is to uphold the values of our origins that have stood up to the test of time. We should not let the hustle and bustle of life today erode those Christian values, as so many Americans do today. Families with dual incomes spend less time together and more time running round with conflicting schedules. Family life is definitely not as relaxed as it was even a generation ago.
Largely to blame for our nations’ loosening morals is our entertainment industry. All forms of entertainment today have brought a different kind of attitude to the fore which is far removed from past generations. Movies, songs and the activities of our celebrities today adhere to the current trends which prove that the more shocking they can get, the more publicity they garner. The tragedy is that the more we see this, the more we become desensitized and uncaring about the degradation of the morality of our society. Things that are sung about and the daily activities of celebrities today would have been totally unacceptable in previous generations. Why do we differ so much? Because the more we see it, the less we seem to care. This is not good for American families as it allows our children to grow up with very slack standards with regards to morality. With our standards being lowered every year we are teaching our children that it is acceptable, when it clearly is not.
Other changes have come about in our culture today are because of the current economic state we find ourselves in. With the collapse of certain industries and markets, comes the inevitable job loss that so many citizens are dealing with today. This means those people are forced to reevaluate their job situation. Either they stand down to earn less, or step up and re-enter the job market in areas they are not fully skilled at. This in turn has seen an upswing in adults going back to school to get more education, or find a new career path altogether. Kids graduating from college in the near future will be faced with a high percentage of competitors for job openings. In the end I predict America will be overflowing with highly educated graduates, but there won’t be enough jobs to match up with all the graduates. In order to survive escalating living expenses, particularly gas for our cars, society feels pressured to get more degrees in their education. I think it would make a huge impact on our society if salaries went up to accommodate increased expenses across the board. Small towns particularly feel the brunt of continually expanding costs as their already low salaries are not able to keep up with inflation. This actively encourages college graduates to move away from their families to find work in bigger cities that pay more. Even more will leave as the rising cost of education is growing exponentially. College leavers are faced with ridiculously high debt in return for an education that really benefits our society as a whole. All these factors will contribute to the break down in the family unit, and families will end up with more distance between them than ever before. It seems as though this is a vicious cycle and I am not sure it is a good indicator of our future if it continues along this path.
In previous generations fathers usually went out to work, making them the bread winner of the family unit. “Stay-at-home-Mom” is a phrase we are all familiar with. Today, there are not too many of that rare breed left. Necessity has forced both parents out to work, in order to afford mortgage, college and living expenses. Not only has this increased society’s living standards, but it has bred a whole new generation of consumers. Everything adjusted to accommodate these new standards. Sales of material goods went through the roof, especially when the advertising industry got involved and discovered a new way of increasing profit. America today is seen as a nation of consumers. Unfortunately not many of us can afford all of it. Credit cards became another aspect of our society that shaped where we find ourselves today – heavily in debt with too many possessions that are not always a necessity. I think it’s time America took a good hard look at where we are and reevaluated our priorities. Spoiling our children with the newest and latest does not always make them appreciative. What happened to the old fashioned standards of earning something? I’m quite glad at times that I can’t give in to my children’s wishes. After all, they are only wishes, they aren’t a genuine need. They will survive without it, and it will make them better people to wait for it. That way it’s appreciated, treasured, and never taken for granted. I wish all of America could be like this. It would make for a better nation. I see a lot of National pride, but not as much pride in the family unit. That’s the backbone of society as a whole and healthy family unit produces happy, confident people. The family unit is what makes society work cohesively in the end, as attitudes, morals and being closely connected to like-minded individuals who have the same ideals make for better people.
