After reading the first chapter that was assigned for class today, it became clear that the whole sport mentality has lessened the importance of communities. Although sports command large fan bases that can be considered communities, the individual impact is more profound. Individuals in our society, from a young age, are motivated to become great athletes. The emphasis on individual performance and individual success is instilled into our generation in the form of advertising and in watching sporting events.

This idea can be transferred over to the ever growing issue of materialism. A sort of arms race has emerged within communities. People consume in order to "live up to" the idea of the everyday American. People become wrapped up in their own personal well-being and become focused on material possessions -- ignoring their communities and ignoring community involvement.