Consumption implies that individuals purchase goods to gain meaning or value for the consumer, not simply for the material benefit they provide. Instead, “goods are not just objects of economic exchange, they are goods to think with, goods to talk with” (Fiske, 1989) (cited in Bocock, 1993). This suggests that individuals use possessions as symbolic props, as a way to create and shape their identity. It is suggested that the individual has the ability to create their own narrative and can rely on the novelty of consumer goods. However, the individual is still bound by the market and mass commodities of capitalism. For example: athletes purchase equipment, clothing, etc., to encourage the identity they wish to possess. As they see these assets as a connection to their lifestyle. Many theorists suggest that consumption is related to an individual's identity, that by purchasing goods from the mass market, it allows us to visibly establish our position within society. This differs from previous times when a number of factors such as family history, character and personal achievements played a significant role (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). Instead there is the idea that the consumer has the ability to derive pleasure from objects, not only through the manipulation of the objects, but through the degree of control over their meaning. The degree of control is developed and achieved through imagination and offers greater possibilities for pleasurable experiences. This suggests that modern consumption can be seen as a device that allows individuals to “dream” the desires they wish to satisfy. (Campbell, 1989: 79) (Cited in Gabirel & Lang, 2006)According to Scitovsky (1976), the desire to consume is... at the heart of the paper... ARLS, K., 1994. The impact of modernity on consumption: Simmel's philosophy of money. Advances in Consumer Research, 21, pp. 65-65.TAYLOR, L., 2013. Consuming passions. BBC Radio 4 Thinking aloud. [Podcast] 02/01/2013. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01phj21 [Accessed: 12/10/2013]BOURDIEU, P., 1984. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.JAMES, O., 2008. Affluence. Random House.SHANKAR, A., ELLIOTT, R. and FITCHETT, J.A., 2009. Identity, consumption and narratives of socialization. Marketing Theory, 9(1), pp. 75-94. WAGNER, P., 2002. A sociology of modernity: freedom and discipline. Routledge. http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=7564 SASSATELLI, R., 2007. Consumer culture. London: Sage.SHIELDS, R., 2003. Shopping lifestyle: the topic of consumption. Routledge.