Coffee Hidden Meaning Essay Example

Coffee consumption is one of the activities that many people do as a matter of urgency to satisfy the needs of the body. It can be done even with little awareness and that such activity plays any special role in people's lives. However, a more in-depth examination of coffee consumption reveals a different picture. According to Gustad and Nyqvist coffee has a symbolic meaning in people's daily experiences and this symbolism is reflected in the manner in which it is consumed, the time and occasions it is offered (44). An examination of the lifestyle of Americans reveals that coffee drinking symbolizes socializing, emotional expressions and idealizing.

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People often gather to drink as a form of socializing and indulgence as opposed to the need to satisfy the urge to take a drink. Coffee houses have a long tradition in the US society as a meeting point for people to discuss ideas or enjoy the company of others and have often been described as the Facebook of the generations preceding the period the social networking site came into being( Wegner theatlantic.com). Although the internet changed how people socialize, the drinking of coffee still serves to pool people to meet for social reasons and not an activity meant to meet the needs such as hunger. Drinking of coffee often takes place outside the office or home and depicts a behavior intended to bring people together as friends or colleagues thereby depicting the social nature of the motivation of the persons involved in this activity. This can be seen in the way Starbucks has branded coffee as a social hub. Therefore, drinking coffee is a symbol of togetherness or social satisfaction which brought about by the social interactions of people known to each other.

Coffee also represents the emotional aspect of human beings. The emotional element is depicted in the media as a source of feelings which may have been derived from the caffeine in the coffee. The drink is associated adults and serves to give its consumers a feel that provokes a sensory and romantic experience (Verma 162 Loftfield 1762). As such, the drinking of coffee is usually seen among people with emotional connections rising above normal social relationships, and this behavior has been demonstrated in courtship situations. The emotional aspect of coffee can be observed in the musical nature of the advertisements that seek to promote its consumption. For instance, an L'Or Expresso advert released in 2016 by Hermione de Paula uses romantic and soothing music to a create a feel of emotions among listeners(Hermione de Paula). The technique not only serves to woo consumers of coffee but also emphasize the emotional nature of the experience of drinking coffee.

Conclusion

Overall, coffee drinking as an activity has meanings that are more than enjoying the experience of taking a drink. It has cultural norms that inform the tendency of people taking coffees in specific locations or occasions. Based on the cultural norms, coffee is consumed as an activity that enables people to socialize by engaging in activities such as gossip, business discussions, and social bonding. Besides, coffee drinking is meant to promote emotional connections among people, and many Americans use this activity to show feelings for each other as often depicted in adverts. Therefore, coffee drinking is a cultural norm that is entrenched in Americans rather than a routine activity of satisfying one's hunger.

Works Cited

Gustad, Linda, and Alicia M. Nyqvist. "Another cup of coffee?" Lund University, 2014, lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=4462718&fileOId=446273.

Hermione de Paula. "Hermione De Paula L'OR Coffee Commercial." YouTube, 6 Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQU0lYAP878.

Loftfield, Erikka, et al. "Coffee Drinking Is Widespread in the United States, but Usual Intake Varies by Key Demographic and Lifestyle Factors." The Journal of Nutrition, vol. 146, no. 9, 2016, pp. 1762-1768.

Verma, Harsh. V. "Coffee and tea: socio-cultural meaning, context and branding." Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, vol. 9, no. 2, 2013, pp. 157-170, doi:10.1177/2319510x13504283.