Moving from France to Los Angeles was quite a life-changing experience for me. Navigating and adjusting to a completely new culture had a significant impact on who I perceive myself to be. I grew up in the small Provencal town of Saint Remy de Provence, in the South of France. Being raised in such a tight-knit community was a great experience unparalleled by living in a megacity like Los Angeles. I remember stepping out of LAX and feeling like the sky was a thousand times higher than it was back in France. Los Angeles, from an outsider's perspective, is an amazing place, full of people who have good vibes and look like movie stars, gorgeous beaches and sunsets, and scenery straight out of movies. Being able to experience this city from this different point of view is part of the reason I am proud to call it my home. This city seems to encapsulate so many different cultures and ways of life. Because I come from such a small village, I find it astonishing to witness diverse crowds of people who speak so many different languages each with their customs and values identify as Angelinos.
Over the time I have spent here, I have noticed that the American style of the capitalist economic system, unlike the one in which I was raised, has engineered a culture of worshipping and hankering materialistic possessions. The culture of materialism in America is undeniable. Every day, Americans are inundated with countless messages implying that “a good life” can be obtained through the “good life.” By making lots of money and spending it on unnecessary things that claim to make us well-regarded, happy, and loved. We are bombarded with advertisements everywhere from the restroom to the notifications on our phones. This acquisitive mindset to which many have become enslaved seems to have made people, especially adults, reorganize their values and the metrics by which they judge themselves and others. It stimulates them to shape their lives around making higher salaries and owning more “goods.” This is not only evident in the fake small talk that we engage in with our peers but transcends all aspects of our social lives. The purchase of products that are by nature unnecessary appeal to a lot of Americans, as those are things that people will wear and show off to demonstrate their success and status. Whether it’s setting up camp in front of a store to get those Black Friday deals or people who lease cars with larger payments than the rent of their apartments to somehow feel more substantial on their way to work. Driving to an interview with a nice car will give the impression that you are successful, even if you live in a tiny apartment. People are enslaved to their “favorite” brands and wake up extra early to stand in line for hours to buy a pair of $400 sneakers. This incessant and unhealthy need to feed our egos has undeniably taken over significant parts of our lives and regrettably comes at a hefty price for the well-being of both the planet and ourselves.
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Having experienced both American and French culture, I am somehow able to sense that here in America, the hustle and determination to make money radiate out of all economic and social aspects of American livelihood. Americans, in comparison to the people of my village, have in general much bigger houses, and enormous cars. In France, people have a very “laissez-faire” mindset. I have come to the belief that the quasi-socialist economy of western Europe, has shaped a livelihood more comfortable and laid back for its majorities than the American style of capitalism. Basic things like healthcare, school, insurance, and other welfare programs are available for citizens. Most young French people out of school opt to work for the government or find a job with a safe paycheck, and benefits that will insure them, and a 10-week vacation. There is not much ambition to move up the ladder in society or demonstrate one's status. Here, in America, the sky is the limit. But if you fall by the wayside, have a medical emergency, or have an unfortunate accident you are on your own. It is up to you to meet those ends by working whatever job is necessary. I find that Americans have much more of a hustle and ambitious mindset than French people.
Another evident example of the differences between the two systems is the two countries' cinematography and storytelling. This can give glimpses of their cultures. I have noticed that the plots of French movies mostly revolve around that character's quality of life. In French movies, how a character makes their living and how they pay the bills is rarely the focal point. Whereas American movies very often include the character's professions and how they hustle to make their living in addition to their personal lives and prospects.
Being part of this daycare for teens which we call high school, I find it almost impossible to avoid conforming to this culture of material possessions. Being a teenager, I feel a tad bit conscious of how people think about me. This is why I am as well complicit in the vast negative feedback loop, where we compare ourselves to others known as social media. We are all, especially teenagers, naturally insecure about ourselves. Social media has taken this concept of “status” and put a “number” on it.
When I go back to my village every summer I have the peculiar opportunity to compare my American experience to my French experience. I notice that the French youth doesn't use fatuous metrics to judge others. This is partly due to the high etiquette and mannerisms that French kids are held up to. Modern American kids are not held to these same standards. I and my French peers were taught and shown from an early age that connections with the people you cherish are immeasurable in worth. It is customary to openly manifest this appreciation for your peers when greeting them by exchanging a certain number of kisses on the cheek, depending on which region of France you are from.
Here in America, you have this number of followers, you have this number of likes, you have this number of friends. Curating the best version of ourselves and instantly getting feedback for each like this fake version of us gets gives us a temporary boost of dopamine and distracts us for a short period. I find that it is quite evident that social media has made my generation especially here in America more insecure and concerned with demonstrating one's status.
Our insecurities fuel our lust to prioritize material possessions over intrinsic values. All this technology was created with the vision of a more friendly and connected world, yet it has made people more lonely, insecure, and ignorant of reality. I often become frustrated at how much significance petty materialistic things have over people here, in comparison to the values of those in the community I grew up in. This acquisitive mindset is blinding to the dangerous implications and price that we are paying to feed our egos. As I grow older I notice more and more that the things that matter the most, like having bonds with the people you love, making the most of a rainy day, sharing laughs with your friends, being vulnerable, and petting cute cats are things that are immeasurable in worth. I believe that your values, ultimately sculpt the person you are.
Americans, especially young teens have become so caught up in all these materialistic values, that they are imperceptive to the state of the reality we inhabit. In the past 12 years, the impact that humans have had on the environment has increasingly become more abysmal. European countries are realizing these implications and have come to prioritize long-term welfare for the people and the environment rather than quick profit at the expense of nature, unlike the United States, which has pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. If you took away the borders, the followers, the money, and all the spurious materialistic things that our culture has made us prioritize, maybe we would realize that all we have is each other. While so many of us are distracted, the dire consequences of man-made global warming are looming on the horizon and are already in some ways affecting us. I am concerned about the lack of motivation and determination in our generation, especially here in America, to bring about significant change.
My experience in America is one of comparing the livelihoods of the cultures I have experienced. It has taught me to organize my life around more intrinsic ideas and to do things that express these values, like spending a day at the beach and picking up trash with friends or spending the day in nature. It has motivated me to encourage myself and people my age to want to make a change, to save our planet for those who will come after us.
I have found that surrounding myself with people who cherish the same intrinsic values, gives materialistic things less power in my life. I have realized that I am very lucky to be able to call myself a “Franco American,” and that I take for granted so many things that uncounted numbers of people are in dire need of. It is up to us to define what it means to be an American in the world and we must make sure our values are well organized.
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