Commodity Fetishism Research Paper

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The concept of ethical consumption is very controversial. People argue that we need consumerism to keep moving forward in today’s society while others feel that the platform for consumption has become so corrupt that it is impossible to do so in a way that is safe and ethical. Consumerism is a growing trend that people find extremely appealing because it is a way to reflect freedom as well as individuality. Ultimately, it is hard to stop extensive consumption because it is continuously changing to meet the needs of people. Although it may be popular it is not always right. In today’s society through close investigation of overly influential people and advertisements, non-environmentally friendly production techniques and privacy issues, ethical consumption has proven to be impossible. Karl Marx defines commodity fetishism as “the perception of the social relationships involved in production, not as relationships among people, but as economic relationships among the money and commodities exchanged in market trade” (CITE). This concept is especially present in today’s society and can range from being minute to very extreme and perhaps even harmful. For …show more content…

With the growing rate of consumption and our lack of realization on the matter, our environment is being largely impacted in a negative way. The article Advertising at the edge of the apocalypse depicts this perfectly. It explains that twentieth century consumer culture is a deadly trend, which can lead to the end of the world. It explains that we cannot continue living the way we do because eventually we will destroy all of our resources (CITE). The problem with consumerism lies within the whole process it takes to make a product and get it out for everyone to purchase. According to

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