Phenomena of Car Addiction - Essay Example

Causal Analysis Essay Car Addiction At the beginning of the XXI century, car culture is nothing more than a social scourge. That is why it is possible to call this phenomenon "car addiction" which is closely connected with cultural, psychological, social, economic and political effects and has a great impact on our life. There is no need to prove the phenomenon of car addition because everything you need is just look to the metropolitan areas as proof of what happens when a region grows out of control. According to the statistical results approximately one of ten Americans owns a car (Shaver, 2001), this figure is the highest in comparison with the other countries. And every year the rate of new car owners increases. Since the first automobile was invented its image promised to make everyone a pioneer to a better life, it means realization of the American dream. All of dreams associated with wealth and luxury have been transferred to the car culture, and fast driving as a part of it. "Fast cars pervaded North American life throughout the 1970s, reaching their zenith in 1979 when there were an estimated 30 million fast car users, representing 13.7 per cent of the population" ("Fast cars destroy communities", 1999). Once a person becomes a car owner he or she will never refuse to live without automobile. Another problem is that present day prestige and fashion is more of importance than global warming, pollution problems and so on. "For the second time in a month, statistics have shown a dramatic increase in the number of teens who use fast cars." ("Fast cars destroy communities", 1999). Car addiction is strong enough if people prefer to ignore the fact that tens of thousands of people killed in car crashes each year on America highways In some degree, the phenomenon of car addiction is created by skillful marketing and advertising strategies of car manufacturers. There is a false need fabricated in buyer's minds by the automakers that they are getting a vehicle that will take them anywhere anytime (Witzel, 1997). Recent years there is a tendency to the rising sales of small sport trucks and vans. Unfortunately, these vehicles are less efficient, and release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than compact cars. Most of these vehicles are purchased not for there off-road performance, but because of the massive advertising by car manufacturers, and end up being used mostly for single-occupant highway and city driving. The research states that "the average SUV-buying American is highly unlikely to purchase a G-wagen. When Nader and Goldberg test drove the vehicle last fall, its 150 owners were concentrated mainly in wealthy sections of Southern California and New York City suburbs" (Shaver, 2001). Still, they pollute and waste energy and a lot of people do not necessarily need them. "Americans like SUVs because of their safety, status symbol, power" (Shaver, 2001). It will be difficult to persuade them to buy another models of cars or live without automobiles. The possible explanation of this phenomenon is that years of advertising campaign have created an image of "a safe car" for the whole family. Still, the phenomenon of car addiction exists and flourishes, as the rate of car sales increases greatly from year to year (Witzel, 1997). It is possible to refute all the facts mentioned above saying that a car is an integral part of our life helping people to keep abreast of time, but not a realization of the American dream or desire to be cool. Cars are really important in many areas and, in this very case, we cannot speak about car addition. As for Southern California it is possible to say that communication is impossible without automobiles because "California is nearly inaccessible without a car" (Introduction To California Driving, 2005). People are not addicted to cars, and they just use cars to safe time and efforts, and make their life more comfortable and "speedy". "Their '"economizing", their reduction of "costs" is our intensification and rationalization of work" (Witzel, 1997). To be fast, does not mean to rush at full speed for pleasure, but it means to be mobile, and has a possibility to get somewhere in a short period of time. To refute the cause mentioned above and support the phenomenon of car addiction the statistical data could be used. Every morning thousands of people everywhere waste time in traffic jams trying to get to their work place. Statistics says that today, "public transport can help to save from 1-2 hours per day" (Shaver, 2001). In this very case we cannot speak about convenience and safety of time. People buy car because of prestige but not because of absolute necessity. On the other hand, the problem of car addiction affected mostly urban areas with high population density with good transport infrastructure. The rate of car owners in urban areas is in "6 times high than in province" (Shaver, 2001). That is why it is impossible to say about overall necessity of cars in all areas. The major cause of car addiction is closely connected with psychological dependence caused by minor causes mentioned above: car addiction is caused by the feeling of personal freedom and mobility, and masculine force, and from the social standpoint car embodies personal democracy, acting as a social leveling force, granting more and more people a wide range of personal choices - where to travel, where to work and live, where to seek personal pleasure and social recreation. An American without a car feels as an outsider, who is unable to settle his life. Actually, car culture is nothing more than a fashion persuading people to follow it. And that is why, primarily, car culture deals with psychological and social factors rather than political or economic. "The automobile retains its firm hold over our psyche because it continues to represent a metaphor for what Americans have always prized: the seductive ideal of private freedom, personal mobility, and empowered spontaneity" (Time to get off the Wagon, 2005). It is well known fact that advertising has a psycological impact on tastes and priorities and creates fashion. David Bostwick, director of market research at Daimler Chrysler told Salon: "The more we learn about American culture, the more we see how these vehicles fit into our psyche- the more we see how it is that we fit into the overall scheme of living. . . (Time to get off the Wagon, 2005). It provides potential consumers with human-centered behavior, inconsiderate of any outside consequences, short-term or long-term. It depicts sleek and cozy cars gliding through beautiful landscapes. So, automakers and advertising agencies use psychological and social reasons to attract customers and maintain car addition on the highest possible level. To look at this problem objectively it is evident that "a car" it a kind of "a drug" available to the most part of the population and, as the most worse, popularized by the mass media. David Bostwick, director of market research at Daimler Chrysler told Salon: "The more we learn about American culture, the more we see how these vehicles fit into our psyche- the more we see how it is that we fit into the overall scheme of living. . . (Time to get off the Wagon, 2005). Buying a car becomes a common purchase, like TV or mobile phone. People are eager to belong to a "club" of car owners. A car is just an expensive toy of adults. Bear in mind the facts mentioned above it is evident that car culture can be compared with "addiction" or "disease" which has seized the population and needs an immediate treatment. The possible treatment is changing the attitude towards cars as a sign of prestige and absolute need. References 1. Fast cars destroy communities - Illicit vehicle addiction shatters hopes, breaks dreams, ruins lives. Retrieved 10 May 2005 from http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/99-3/issue13/fastcars.html Introduction To California Driving. Retrieved 10 May 2005 from http://www.caldrive.com/intro.html 2. Shaver, K. "SUVs Drive Area to Pollution Violations," Washington Post. July 8, 2001. 3. Time to get off the Wagon. Retrieved 10 May 2005 from http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/insight/features/carcult4.htm 4. Witzel M. K. Cruisin': Car Culture in America. Motorbooks International, 1997. Read More