The first part is the introduction to the whole paper. The second part is about the definition and evolution of the consumption concept. The third part is the introduction to the entertainment consumption of China and The US. The fourth part is the discussion of the reasons of these differences between China and The US. The last part is the conclusion of the whole paper.
II. The Definition and Evolution of the Consumption Concept
Consumption concept is people's guiding ideology and attitude towards their disposable income as well as the pursuit of commodity value orientation. The formation and change of consumption concept is in the development of certain social productivity level and adapt to the development level of society and culture. Economic development and social progress make people gradually abandon the concept of self-sufficiency and all things don't ask for help, such as traditional consumption concept, to live within our means, to save time, pay attention to consumer benefits, gain more from the spirit of the new consumption concept. (You Qiming,2009:21-22).
2.1 Rational Consumption
In this stage, on the one hand, as the low standard of living, consumers just pay attention to the quality of the product, with an eye to the inexpensiveness and durability. Therefore, the product's "good" and "bad" quality becomes the standard to buy. For example, when people buy a shirt, the first opinion in his mind is that the price needs to be low but with a good quality. On the other hand, since the market economy has just started, production enterprises and production capacity is limited, thus sellers' market couldn’t provide goods for consumer needs and desires of consumers are not brought to the attention of the producers.
In the producer's view, as long as the prices of product can be accepted by the consumers, they didn’t worry that consumers will have additional requirements, thus producers were just starting from the enterprise itself to set the product standard and improve efficiency. That formed a concept that people pay attention to producing products but ignoring the demands of the consumers.
2.2 Sensational Consumption
As living standards improved, great changes have taken place in people’s consumption concept, consumer was starting to pay attention to the differences of the quality between similar products, and showed great interest in innovative products, they would prefer to spending higher price to buy higher quality and more new products. The brand, style, and functions become the main content in people's consumption concept. Therefore, "likes" and "dislikes" becomes the standard of the buyer. For producers, they can’t also sell more products without good quality.
Since the 1930s, with the development of industrialization and mechanization, the labor productivity of producer has increased rapidly, this makes a large number of products flood into the market. The position of the buyer and the seller also has changed significantly, the market status changing from sellers' market into buyers' market. (The Youth Exploration ,1993). What to buy, how many to be made are decided by consumers who buy in a larger range of options. So, producers' focus is to use whatever means to stimulate consumers to buy their products, the products in company could sell as soon as possible. They set up special sales department; use a variety of marketing and promotion methods, such as advertising, discounts, gifts, etc. to achieve the maximum sales.
As we can see from this age, the product is truly meeting consumer's needs, the demand of consumer becomes persified, and the level of consumption is becoming higher. Producers began to shift from production to market.(The Youth Exploration, 1993). Although producers had to take notice of consumers, they are also indifferent to and neglect psychological demand of consumers. In essence, it is still the consumption concept of “enterprise as the center”. 中美娱乐消费观对比分析(2):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_38825.html