According to social critic Douglas Rushkoff, the marketing industry studies young people and then sells

them a certain culture, such as what to wear, what to like, and how to act. As a result, he says, young

people don’t have a chance to develop an authentic culture of their own. Rushkoff discusses this in the

video The Merchants of Cool:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/(Links to an external site.)
Rushkoff asks: “How can teens develop their own culture when each new idea is co- opted and sold back

to them before it’s had a chance to mature?”
After visiting the website
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/

Answer the following questions:

What do you think of Rushkoff’s analysis?

Do you think young people in the United States develop their own culture, or does the marketing industry

sell them a culture?

Give at least two examples of trends (such as a fashion item, a band, or even a hot new career), and

explain whether you think they are authentic or whether they have been co-opted by marketers.

How does our current generation identify with the media?

Sample Solution

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