Sets of Electronic Equipment as Social Status Symbol in the Perspective of Psychoanalysis and Capitalism (2)

The combination of carnal and libidinal will form the desire, because the manifestations of these two factors represent the carnal and libidinal factor too. For instance, the desire to possess the brand new sophisticated mobile phone (carnal) made someone feel confident and feel sense of pride in front of the public (libidinal), the desire to possess the latest sophisticated notebook (carnal) made someone feel pride when they walk with this portable computer in their hands (libidinal), etc.

There are two kinds of consumer in the capitalist society; the first is consumer who buys and uses the product by considering its function or utilities as the main consideration, they consume the product only the function aspect of the product and the second is consumer who buys and uses the product with its value, they consume the product not only the function but the prestige of the product as the main consideration to up date the trend.

The kinds of the second consumer which make the product-sets of electronic equipment-change its value become sets of social status symbol. We can see this phenomenon how the teenager show their identity through the latest i-pod or CD player with a large memory capacity, Rolex watch, popular America trade mark, the brand new mobile phone with a lot of feature that actually superfluous for them, or a family shows their identity through the sophisticated home theater, DVD, etc.

These sets of electronic equipment (commodity) actually insert with social status code by its exclusiveness. But in Asia, especially in Indonesia the people can shows their identity through the product although the product is piracy. The manufacturer in Indonesia even produce the product which identically almost the same with the original ones. Ironically, they feel pride with the product as long as they can imitate the western style, because it’s a part of social status symbol and the lack of desire fulfilled. They will feel more confident with the product which consider as social status symbol no matter it’s the original ones or it’s just the imitation product.

The sophisticated electronic equipment such as mobile phone, disc man, Rolex watch, or the brand new audio visual product, etc has a form of individualism treats. Every new product that launched in the market seems cut off the existence of the old product before. The product stimulates the consumer; even teach them to be trendier because it’s the way to socialize nowadays.

Design not always means the process of produce the product by the industries but it turns to the producing of culture. In this globalization era, the function of electronic equipment which relates to the communication tools becomes important. Every new invention in the term of technology field, especially electronic equipment, for the first launching to public inclined to be the high class people possession. It happened because the cost of the research very expensive that means the product is very expensive too, it can not achieved by the ordinary people or lower class people.

Designer often create cooperation with shareholder and the manufacturer to insert the idiom or high class social code through the product to strengthen the exclusiveness image. A new code that will creates a new life style in the society.

Capitalism uses the fast exchange way to keep the existence of the product. The product comes and disappeared as fast as possible to be exchange in the market. Capitalism even forces a person to get bored with something which is call old style when they launch the new ones. The progress spirit of modernism turns to the spirit of desire to be up date. In this case we could see that for the first time, high tech needs a high cost so the product is for the high class people only.