Consumerism In America: Have We Crossed The Line?

Consumerism in any society has the potential to cause more despair than it does joy and happiness; however, when it is moderated by the individual it can become a magnificent thing that lacks any pressing flaws.

Consumerism gives people the opportunity to do many things with the freedom of choice they have and purchase whatever it is their heart desires. Desire can be a double-edged blade however. Fulfilling desires through purchasing goods is a great thing to be able to do, but how fulfilling are the desires you’re fulfilling? You would have to question whether or not those new products are truly going to make you happy or if the happiness is just on the surface. Also, when do these desires become too much and start to take over your life so much that you have pushed everything else away from you that should really be the center of your life? This is how consumerism can become a flaw within society. When the purchasing and want of goods becomes too big of an itch to scratch, you will spend all of your time trying to alleviate the itch by purchasing new things. Where does the money come from to purchase these new things? More often than not it is from working and working takes up a large amount of time in the average person’s life. The time spent working then interferes with time that could be spent doing more rewarding things such as achieving a personal goal or developing a relationship. In that way consumerism hinders progress greatly and is not beneficial to society.

Consumerism is not all bad. In fact it can be extraordinary at times. Most people engage in some form of consumerism whether it is buying clothes, food, shelter, or some form of transportation. Very few people are self-reliant these days. Since everything is mass produced and can be consumed it leaves people more time to do things such as spend time with their family, develop a relationship, exercise, educate themselves, or any other number of things that can further develop a person’s happiness and well-being. There are many things a consumer-oriented culture can achieve that have positive affects for the entire society. In American society owning a Hummer says something different about the person who bought the car than it would if the person had bought a Toyota Prius. The person consciously bought the car knowing how society would label them when they were seen driving around in the Hummer. The freedom to be perceived as we wish by society is a great thing to have.

So what is the compromise? Consumerism is a great thing for a country to have as it enables people to a wealth of options that have favorable affects. However it is up to the consumer to control their own personal desires and want of things. With an ever growing want, someone’s life will be consumed by material goods which will ultimately take away from everything that really does matter in life. Whether or not consumerism is a beneficial or negative thing is really up to the individuals within that society. It is perfectly acceptable to desire things, but when that desire grows and grows to the point it cannot be satisfied, that is when you need to reflect on your life and decide what truly is important. That is the point where consumerism becomes a negative. Too much of anything is never a good thing, but in moderation many things are helpful. If only the people within consumer cultures could limit their spending on products they wouldn’t have to work so much. If people did not work as much, they would have less to spend which could translate into not going shopping and doing things that cause personal growth. If people stop buying so many products then companies would make less, which would mean people would have to work less. Ultimately it is up to the consumer how their time and money is spent. That one decision affects a variety of things that eventually all come back to the consumer in one way or another.

Consumerism can be a positive or negative thing within a society. It is all dependent on how the particular society decides to engage it. If all the society wants to do is purchase goods then the people within that society will work much more than people in a society who spend most of their time developing relationships or focusing on their own goals. It is a question we all have to ask ourselves. Do we want material goods or do we want personal development? It all depends on the type of person you are asking. Some people are more than content with just working and purchasing goods while others search for more meaningful values in their life. There is no right or wrong for consumerism because in the end consumerism isn’t making any decisions. It is just there because people want it to be there. Whether those people use it in a beneficial way or negative way is their decision.

Sincerely,

The Guy Blogging

P.S. - What's your take on this? Do you think America or the rest of the world for that matter is too easily swept into the world of materiel goods?