By taking postmodernism as the central standpoint, this article argues that consumerism is influenced by and influences socio-political, economic and cultural regimes. Under influences of macro-level contexts, consumption seems to deform grand narratives on the one hand, and create little narratives on the other. Little narratives embedded in consumers’ choice in concert with other consumers’ choices form another grand narrative about consumerism shaped by the media. The influence of the media on consumerism puts forward the question of the role of the media: are they of or for the public?
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