There has been a major shift from a production-based society to a consumption-based society in today's Western world. Consumption is very present and can be a means by which people create their identity. Today, people can consume without leaving their homes and can be enticed to buy by turning on their television or walking down the street and being surrounded by advertisements. Below, I will present some possible reasons for this shift and discuss the dangers of people creating identities through consumption. The rise of the consumer society takes place in all phases of capitalism, from the beginning of capitalism (Paterson, 2005, p. 13). There was a massive increase in consumption in post-war America, which led to an increase in consumption in Britain and then Europe, where there was both a massive increase in consumption and production, allowing the lower classes to also participate in consumption (Paterson 2005, p. 31). The effects of an increase in consumption create an increase in production to meet consumer needs. After the 1950s (Paterson, 2005), young people were identified as the new target audience that drove the growth of marketing and brands. Reasons for the transition from a society based on production to a society based on consumption Mass media contribute to influencing our consumption patterns through the concept of lifestyle, advertising and notions of consumer choice. It can be argued that by using signs and symbols, media can have the power to influence people with specific messages that can cause us to behave in a particular way, affecting the way we consume (Morley, 2005 ). The media can use powerful persuasion tools through branding and advertising that can lead consumers to imagine that they are using a certain product or in a certain environment...... middle of paper ...... Marketing Research' Vol. XLVIII (April 2001) pp.381-392Jackson, RL 1979, “Satisfaction of material needs as a correlate of self-esteem” in Jackson, RL, The Journal of Social Psychology, pp. 108, 139-140 Morley. D, 2005, “Theories of Consumption in Media Studies”, in Miller. D, Recognizing consumption: a review of new studies, 2nd ed., Taylor and Francis e-Library, 2005 p. 294Paterson, M. 2005, “You are what you buy: theories of consumption” in Paterson, M. Consumption and Everyday Life, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, London and New York p. 12Warde, A. 1994, “Consumption, Identity-Formation and Uncertainty” in Warde, A., Sociology 1994, 28:877, Sage Publications pp. 877-898Woodward, I. 2011, “Consumption and Lifestyles”, in J. Germov & M. Poole (eds.), Public Sociology: An introduction to Australian Society, 2nd ed., Allen & Unwin, Sydney, pp... 152-156