Mall Culture
Look at shopping malls in a new perspective. It is not anymore only a place to do your shopping. It has gained status as a social phenomenon.
From the early 1980’s a new social phenomenon came to the forefront world wide, the shopping mall. Although the concept of malls was to induce consumerism, inventors of this new concept could never in their wildest dreams visualise the social revolution it would start.
Make no mistake, although there was here and there some scepticism from the old school of thought that malls would die an early death, the concept took the world by storm. From day one it was a big hit with the sole purpose to provide everything under the sun under one roof or in one big complex. It also heralded in a new urbanisation concept where everything was taken to the consumer in his comfort zone, suburbia. The days where you have to struggle to get to the inner-city to do your shopping in the Central Business District were gone. Now, for the first time everything were actually on your door step.
The benefit was that the days of dull consumer unfriendly buildings where you had to shop, were also counted. The focus on the mall was on what is worn, eaten, drunk, read, displayed and enjoyed. It had now a dual functionality, not only to sell and make money, but also to cater for consumers’ immediate pleasure and enjoyment. Enter the social phenomenon of malls!
But the inventors of malls took it one step further, they promised parents a safe haven for their children with guarantees of a gun-, drug-, and crime free environment where especially teenagers can come and be teenagers again, enjoy a milkshake or soda, a good movie or just socialise with their peers. Enter the mall rat, new social specie. Parents were more relaxed when they know their children were at the mall. With a few bucks shoved in their hands teenagers could set off for socialising with their friends in a superficial environment. It tends to imprison those who frequent it, in a
From the early 1980’s a new social phenomenon came to the forefront world wide, the shopping mall. Although the concept of malls was to induce consumerism, inventors of this new concept could never in their wildest dreams visualise the social revolution it would start.
Make no mistake, although there was here and there some scepticism from the old school of thought that malls would die an early death, the concept took the world by storm. From day one it was a big hit with the sole purpose to provide everything under the sun under one roof or in one big complex. It also heralded in a new urbanisation concept where everything was taken to the consumer in his comfort zone, suburbia. The days where you have to struggle to get to the inner-city to do your shopping in the Central Business District were gone. Now, for the first time everything were actually on your door step.
The benefit was that the days of dull consumer unfriendly buildings where you had to shop, were also counted. The focus on the mall was on what is worn, eaten, drunk, read, displayed and enjoyed. It had now a dual functionality, not only to sell and make money, but also to cater for consumers’ immediate pleasure and enjoyment. Enter the social phenomenon of malls!
But the inventors of malls took it one step further, they promised parents a safe haven for their children with guarantees of a gun-, drug-, and crime free environment where especially teenagers can come and be teenagers again, enjoy a milkshake or soda, a good movie or just socialise with their peers. Enter the mall rat, new social specie. Parents were more relaxed when they know their children were at the mall. With a few bucks shoved in their hands teenagers could set off for socialising with their friends in a superficial environment. It tends to imprison those who frequent it, in a