Trends and Entertainment

The American Dream is Dead–Long Live the American Dream

The American Dream is dead– and it ain’t a bad thing.

In a recent survey by Context-Based Research Group, a Baltimore consumer anthropology firm, 78 percent of respondents said they believed the AD was kaput. But they also agreed that it should be, because the dream has become defined by what you can buy, rather than by freedom and ideals.

If there’s one thing we learned in the past few years, it’s that lots of things are more important than money. So here’s some more good news: Those surveyed said they had taken steps to spend less (85 percent) and had de-cluttered their homes (61 percent). Well, now that all that stuff is gone, what’s taken its place? People. A startling 83 percent said they were going to spend more time with family and friends over the holidays than they had before.

“In out studies, we found people reaching this epiphany and then going through a ‘coming of age’ process that’s leading to new attitudes and new ways of interacting with the world,” said CBRG founder Robbie Blinkoff.

Go figure–when you spend less time buying stuff at Wal-Mart, and then buying stuff to organize your stuff at the Container Store, you have more room to love.

Readers might remember our interview with Robbie in December, when he told us the forthcoming holiday would be the Best Ever because of the shift that the recession had caused in our values. We’d revel in togetherness rather than in spending.

Btw, he predicted that this Valentine’s Day would be the most meaningful, too. Get psyched.

Tags: American Dream, economy, recession, trends