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