Post Blog 9/26 Robby Riehle

I, like I think most people in Wednesday’s class, was interested in the concept that Habermas brings up, “the cult of the new” (99). He is exactly right, now more than ever we are fixated on the “new” or the hip. In our capitalist society having the latest (insert interchangeable product here) represents some sort of status. Consumerism, as a social and economic order, is a large driving force behind the ever-growing cult. Fueled ever furthermore by mass media and marketing campaigns. In today’s society having what’s new is not only natural, it’s expected. This of course meaning that not only do you have to buy the latest whatever because you’ve been programmed to want to, but by not getting it you risk stigmatization. Social media is a prime example of this. When Myspace came out everybody got one because it was new and the natural thing to do. By not creating a Myspace you would be left unconnected and out of the social media loop. But then when Facebook was release almost the entire public who invested time into their Myspace instantaneously dropped their accounts. Then with the announcement of twitter some people left Facebook just because it was new, even though it does only one future that Facebook already did. In fact I just heard on the radio a few weeks ago that Twitter is accepted to out live Facebook on a social media platform.  As capitalist consumers of the 21^st century almost everyone is indoctrinated into the “cult of the new”. The only question is how long will having what’s new keep its novelty.