What Does It Means To Be Successful Essay

Success, is it Attainable
What does it truly mean to be successful in the United states and how is it attained? Is one’s level of success dictated by how much wealth that they are able to accumulate over time or does it have more to do with a person’s own satisfaction with their life and accomplishments? These questions have been the topic of many heated debates over recent years. One popular opinion on this matter is that success is directly linked with a hard working attitude, a motivated spirit and a creative mind alone. Along with this reasoning, this perspective also feels that those who cannot gain success, are just not driven enough or make too many excuses for their shortcomings. Another popular perspective is that success is more so

Today, the most influential source of mass communication is the media. Through hit television shows, newspaper articles and Website posts, people are constantly being entertained with new and exciting content. As a result people are becoming more and more dependent on the media’s output, for what is new and or necessary in order to live comfortably. Many now are starting to wonder though, is that a good thing? In Diana Kendall’s work, “Framing Class, Vicariously Living, and Conspiracy Consumption” she goes into detail on how the media is painting a picture of success that can only hurt people today. Kendall goes on to say that the media feeds people the belief that, “ the only way to get ahead [attain success] is to identify with the rich and powerful and to live vicariously through them.”(316) This idea that materialism as well as having the latest devices being the deciding factor in what makes a person successful is what is a strong reason for why poverty rates are steadily increasing. It is vital now that we stress the importance of redefining what success is in our society as well as understand how this way of thinking is leaving many at a