Mixed messages in popular media - happiness and consumption.

[melissak]

It never ceases to amaze me how happiness seems to have become become the ultimate status symbol in recent years. It seems like magazines used to unapologetically focus mostly on beauty, wealth, having all the stylish/newest gadgets and fashions and things, trends in general... and on top of all that, they now constantly have features about being happy. "10 tips for a happier you!" etc, telling you mostly cliched stuff about how you should focus on what you have, not what you don't have, or be positive, or value relationships above possessions... and then there's 200 pages of ads and features on all the hot stuff to buy, fashion trends, ads for antidepressants and medications of every kind, etc. Granted, I rarely actually read magazines so I can't come up with too many examples, but Oprah's magazine in particular strikes me as a prime example of this... like, Oprah and her devoted followers must be the happiest people on earth by now, surely! How many "secrets to a happier you" can there possibly be?! And despite (or because) of this huge focus on happiness, it seems to me there are fewer happier people than ever (in my unscientific opinion!) - it almost seems like all this focus on happiness just makes people realize that they aren't happy, and then they probably look for happiness in all the wrong places - hence, the aforementioned accompanying ads for the usual designer clothes/ trendy gadgets/ medications. I'm not going to posit an explicit conspiracy to focus on happiness, thereby making people focus on how it's one more thing they lack, and then sell them stuff... but I also wouldn't reject any theories along that line!
Uh, this is just a general observation/rant - but I am keen to hear other people's thoughts on this phenomenon. It just trips me out how I constantly see articles and books and seminars, etc etc, on happiness - yet people don't seem to be becoming noticeably happier!

[marty998]

Oprah's magazine or anything Oprah does is not intended to make you happy. It's designed to bring in bucketloads of moolah to make Oprah happy.

Straying into the realm of marketing psychology. Marketing is basically manipulating your needs/wants/desires to buy a product that claims to satisfy your needs/wants/desires. All of the things you've mentioned are conditioning you to want a certain form of happiness, which can only be achieved by buying a certain product.

I hate it (and I wont start rambling on the marketing to kids, because I'll never stop) but such is the world we live in. If enough people tune out and stop buying the useless crap then things will change, but only if enough people do.

[Worsted Skeins]

Right.  And if you don't have all the latest stuff, you are deprived and miserable.

I'd much rather read stories of contentment found in the DIY and frugality posts here.  But that is really what it comes down to:  does one want flash in the pan happiness or a deeper contentment?

[BPA]

Oprah's stupid "favourite things" section drives me nuts.

I think the 100 Thing Challenge would be a good idea for anyone who falls for that garbage.

[psychomoustache]

Interesting discussion -
I for one have been subscribing to Oprah (I know, I know) for a long time, because, living in France, I find the American-y "can do anything" attitude really refreshing. That being said, I get the Oprah and find Nothing To Read in it except the book review section, and Suze Orman (who makes me laugh, she is soooooo dire and doom-y)

Here in France the magazines - for women particularly - are for the most part even worse (though there are some non-mainstream things like anywhere which are more thoughtful). The women's magazines focus almost completely on how we should be thinner/more made-up/better-dressed/and of course excellent cooks... I can't read them At ALL.

All of that with the whiny French thing going on (I can say this because I'm one of them - major Complainypants in a country of Complainypants...!!)  The same discourse as in the States " we're getting obese! all the prices are rising! no one will ever find work!" etc. etc.

So - yeah - I will badmouth Oprah like all of you, but there isn't a light woman-y magazine here that actually even tries to focus on (GASP!) being happy. . Quelle idée !

[BPA]

That being said, I get the Oprah and find Nothing To Read in it except the book review section, and Suze Orman (who makes me laugh, she is soooooo dire and doom-y)

Ha ha.  I would love to see Jacob and MMM on her talk show.  She'd be telling them they can't do what they are doing/have done.

Perhaps they could volunteer to be on the Suze Orman show? 

[sheepstache]

I was struck by something Amy Chua wrote in an editorial defending her book The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.  It was along the lines of: Most American parents worry about their kids' self-esteem; they worry about their kids being happy.  Asian and Asian-American parents worry about their children learning skills and achieving accomplishments so that the children will know the happiness of possessing skills and having accomplishments! 
I tend to agree with her. Happiness is not a state of mind that you can just achieve in a vacuum; it is a side effect of positive actions.