what makes society follow the trends and social standards ?

A science fiction

novel

written by Phillip K. Dick with the title Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep has thousands of lessons for its readers. The

novel

talks about the human nature. The story underlines several matters that people may face in their

life

which reflects on how human lives their

life

in the future. Starting from people’s dependency to the technologies, the influence of

mass

media, false religion,

consumerism

, less empathy, false identity, mind control, and many more. When I read the

book

, I noted that

Deckard

, the main character in the

novel

is living with the

idea

of

consumerism

whereby he has an

envy

feeling for the other people who can afford exotic animals. In the

book

, people use the real animal to greater their social

acceptance

.

Accept space

.

They buy fancy things even though they do not really need it.

Consumerism

is the talking point in the

novel

that will be discussed in

this

paper along with the main character in the

novel

, Rick

Deckard

, a bounty hunter who wants to kill the nexus-6 in

order

to buy real sheep to impress his neighbours.

Consumerism

refers to the

idea

of purchasing goods which is always increasing and it makes people being obsessive about it and feels that their well-being and

happiness

depends on the obtaining those goods, specially fancy things. In relation, their thoughts are

influence

Suggestion

the influence

by

Suggestion

of

the

mass

media through the advertisement that.

In addition

, the meaning of

consumerism

in the

novel

is

also

related to the

sense

of

envy

within the

community

in real

life

. Normally, self-esteem,

prestige

, and

life style

a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes

lifestyle

are the internal factors that lead someone to

consumerism

and

competition

. Rick

Deckard

represents the

idea

of

consumerism

that categorize into

life

standard in the humanity described in the

book

whereby Rick

Deckard

is obsessed to

consumerism

, in

this

case to buy real animal as by having a real animal is confirming that his social rank is high according to the standard that exists in that

society

(Dick, 1968, p. 5). In Indonesia, social

competition

among the people happens. The

society

is competing to afford luxuries

such

as branded goods to increase their social ranks. The worst case is about those who are willing to do anything in

order

to achieve their goals which includes to lift their social status. The writer found that the subject

consumerism

and social

competition

is interesting because it reflects to the lifestyle of the people living in the modern

society

. Rick

Deckard

and

consumerism

in the

book

showing something similar on how

society

lives nowadays.

Additionally

, the question is about what is wrong with our

society

nowadays, Why

society

should care about the

luxurious

Suggestion

luxury

goods and social

competition

?. In real

life

, due to the

consumerism

, many people are competing to evaluate their social status by buying fancy things.

For instance

, the latest release of branded bag, clothes, exotic animals, and many more.

This

shows that people follow the

community

standard, and using the

expenssive

high in price or charging high prices

expensive

inexpensive

goods and exotic animals to confirm their social degree. As several chapters of the

book

Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?

and

Suggestion

And

Indonesian news provided evidences and facts regarding the topic of

this

paper, it reveals the correlation between the main character in the story and the lifestyle of the Indonesian

community

. It leads to hypothesis that people nowadays and

society

described in the Phillip’s

book

use luxurious animals and goods to measure their social ranks as they indeed concern about it.

Therefore they

Accept comma addition

Therefore, they

compete and willing to do anything for it, even families.

However

, the question is why they should do it?. In the

novel

, Rick

Deckard

’s behaviours confirms that he is selfish and greedy for animals with expensive price just to impress his neighbours.

Hence

, he killed the Nexus-6 androids in

order

to afford a real animal. It is clearly indicated that Rick

Deckard

does not care how can he afford his desirable

pet

, what matter is to buy it as form the social standpoint it has to be done. It means that Rick

Deckard

indeed attempts to follow the standards in his

society

. Over here in Indonesia we can see the same points as written in the Phillip Dick’s

book

, it is about the

consumerism

and

competition

among the people. There is considerable celebrities, socialites and elites who have a desire of owning fancy things and exotic pets (Pasha, 2019) which is similar to Rick

Deckard

’s wish.

This

is proven by the news and references provided in the finding session whereby there is a trend and social standard created among them to possess luxurious stuff and pets.

For instance

, Marion Jola, singer who recognized that she ever bought a branded bag because of her

prestige

as there is a

community

standard of owning luxurious things from her surroundings. The other one is a socialite who stole a Luis Vuitton handbag as her surroundings have branded bag as the social standard (Beers, 2020) whereby

this

example is related to Rick

Deckard

who became a bounty hunter to buy his desirable

pet

.

Furthermore

, the trend of owning an exotic

pet

within the celebrities and exclusive groups. It can be noted from the YouTube channel of several celebrities.

For example

,

mass

media and the YouTube channel that exhibit Irfan Hakim’s exotic

pet

, Aldabra tortoise, Alshad Ahmad’s Bengal tiger, Raditya Dika’s

sphynx

Suggestion

Sphynx

cat, and so much more (Pasha, 2019).

This

asserts the correlation between the concept of

consumerism

in the

book

and Indonesian

society

whereby people’s

envy

feeling and

prestige

resulted them to follow the trends and social standards in

order

to their social ranks even though in fact they do not really need it. The factors that influencing the

society

to follow the trends and social standard are varied. The external and internal factors. Social environment and

mass

media are the external factors as they have

influence someone’s way

Suggestion

an influence someone’s way

influence someone’s ways

of thinking through advertisement. The impact of the

mass

media here supports the concept of

consumerism

as it makes the

community

happy if they can purchase what everyone else affording and have a

sense

of

envy

towards each other.

Hence

, it leads to

competition

between the

community

as if they

are not participate

Suggestion

are not participating

do not participate

don't participate

have not participated

in the game, somehow they will be ashamed. Even those who are unable to afford fancy things enforce themselves to buy what the elite groups buying. Followed by internal factors which constitutes by

life style

a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes

lifestyle

,

sense

of

envy

, and

prestige

. Both two factors are the main element in influencing someone’s decision whether to follow the trends and social standard or not. The principal reasons of having branded goods are

prestige

for most of people, mainly the celebrities and elite groups in Indonesia.

Accordingly

someone’s

prestige

relies on the things and services that he/she use, which in

further

became his/her

life style

a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes

lifestyle

. Using branded stuff makes people become more comfortable and confirms their social rank. In fact, those groups of people will merely feel ashamed if they

do not owning

Suggestion

don't own

do not own

branded stuff because they afraid of being judged as a lower class people from their social environment.

This

shows that those people seek for recognition as they feel they need

acceptance

from other people to feel good about themselves. The root causes of

this

are

sense

of

envy

, lack of self-esteem and confidence as it is socially constructed, that an individual should follow the

community

standard so that he or she will not be subject to bullying.

As a result

of

this

social phenomenon, it can decrease

life

-satisfaction and

happiness

as their

happiness

is measured by owning

luxurious

Suggestion

luxury

goods and the

community

might find it difficult to admit themselves and be confident

for

Suggestion

in

of

who they really are.

In addition

, perhaps it will be hard for them to live in peace as they tend to join the social

competition

for social

acceptance

which it could raise anxiety and depression if they fail to reach

acceptance

from the other. In conclusion, by all the proven results, I do believe that

consumerism

and social

competition

exist in Indonesian

society

. It is true fancy things and exotic animals are the trends and social standard that are used by the

society

as a symbol of their social class. The

Society

indeed follows the trends and standards that are socially constructed as they are envious,

prestige

, and seek for

acceptance

from other people to feel good about themselves by impressing the

community

. It is proven by the findings section from the

novel

whereby Rick

Deckard

is jealous of his neighbours who just afforded a real animal.

Therefore

, he has a desire to afford a real animal just to impress his neighbours by doing anything.

Subsequently

, Indonesian

society

mainly the celebrities and elite groups owning branded goods and exotic animals to impress the

society

even though they do not really need it.. Both findings from

novel

“Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?”

and

Suggestion

And

the lifestyle of Indonesian

society

has the same

idea

of describing the

consumerism

in the

book

and real

life

in Indonesia. The matter here is the human nature of being greedy when they are obsessed with something, taking risk will be their

last

means to reach it. The author of the

book

“Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep?”

described

Suggestion

Described

the reality in

this

current

society

in his work. He defines the

society

who owns several luxurious goods and animals which are not necessarily needed. If

this

social phenomenon continues to happen in the future,

society

will be more rely on the fancy things and social

acceptance

to give them long-lasting

happiness

and self-satisfaction.