The rise of consumerism occurred during the 1920’s. One of the major contributing factors to the rise of consumerism was cheaper goods. Before the 1920’s people were just struggling to put food on the table. As a result, they did not have money to spend on luxury products. People were only worried about surviving and providing for their families up until the 1920’s. During the 1920’s new technologies developed that led to two separate developments.
The first development that these new technologies led to was cheaper products. Everyday grocery items suddenly became significantly cheaper. This made it significantly easier for the average person to survive throughout America as well as in other regions of the world. Ultimately, these cheaper goods raised the standard of living in America. The standard of living in America was then at the highest point that it had ever been in history. Now, even the most poor people could afford to survive even in a difficult economy. It is important to identify the technologies that allowed goods to be sold for a lower price.
The primary technology that allowed goods to be sold for a significantly lower price was the assembly line. The assembly line was a method of manufacturing goods that provided for faster assembly. This ultimately resulted in factory owners being required to pay significantly less money for their gods to be created. In addition to the assembly line, other technologies helped to create a massive advertising platform for consumers. Without this massive advertising platform it would never have been possible for consumerism to rise.
The first technology that created a major platform for advertising was the radio. The radio essentially provided a platform for mass communication which in turn functioned as a massive platform for advertising. In the 1920’s the US government released a guide on how to build a crystal radio in any home. This was a significant point in American history because it symbolized being able to receive information at a fast information and for an extremely cheap price.
It is important to note that the radio was not invented out of nowhere in the 1920’s. During the several decades prior to the 1920’s the radio still existed, but it was an extremely complicated instrument. Before the 1920’s, the radio was so complicated that it made no sense to sell it as a product or mass produce it. The radio itself was still a complicated piece of equipment that would have had a high cost if it were not for the assembly line.
Radio was not the only technology that created a massive advertising platform. If it were not for the assembly line, it would have been virtually impossible to sell radios to the general public. The reason for this is that the radio would have been way too expensive for the average person to afford. The affordability of the modern day radio is truly what created a massive advertising platform for consumerism to rise. The assembly line and new strides in radio communications worked in tandem to created this platform for massive communication and advertising.
