Lifestyles are the ways or styles in which different individuals around the world lead their lives daily. When we talk about lifestyle we will try to look at this term from the sociological point of view.
Lifestyles are usually defined based on a few parameters. These parameters include geographical habitats, food habits, clothing, accommodation, religion, culture and other social factors like social rituals, attitude towards life etc.
Lifestyles differ from one country to the other based on geographical factors. For example in Spain there is a tradition of taking an afternoon siesta or nap just after the midday meal. But in the country of US there is no such tradition. This is because of the fact that Spain experiences a warm, Mediterranean type climate as opposed to the US. This type of afternoon sleep is common in other countries as well that experience a hot climate.
Again, consuming alcohol or smoking at a social party is part of the day-to-day lifestyles in many countries around the world. But in India, even today some conservative families consider consuming alcohol or smoking to be a taboo and the family members would frown at you if they get to know that you are a smoker or an occasional drinker.
In modern usage, the term lifestyles has been widely used to denote the spending or purchasing power of the consumers. Manufacturers flood the market with various finished products and advertisers flood the various media with product or service related messages hoping that the consumers will surely take the bait and start purchasing these products or services in order to improve their lifestyle.
Improving the lifestyle, that is exactly what the consumers want or rather the advertisers make you want. If you have been washing clothes with your bare hands for so long then you would definitely need the washing machine, if you are in a hurry to cook food then microwave is for you, if you already have a car then you need to buy a better one, if you have a TV set then why don’t you get a plasma? Why don’t you spend a bomb on branded clothes, accessories and shoes to become more presentable? Let everyone around you watch how you upgrade your lifestyle.
