Americans wake up at different times of the day, and for some, the first thing they do is check their phone. Whether it be to check the news or social media they will most likely end up seeing an ad containing someone appealing to the eye trying to get people to buy a product. The product either looks ridiculous, unnecessary, or just plain moronic and way overpriced. Despite that, people fall into a routine of retail therapy that they cannot seem to get out of. That satisfaction from buying is short lived since Americans are never satisfied. Americans can be described as materialistic, superficial, and a mass-consuming group of people. Studies have shown that Americans are not satisfied with the situation they are in right now. They try …show more content…
Buying items generates many different emotions whether happy, regretful, or thankful. Some may feel like they cannot be left behind now and must follow the trend of the month. Companies know how to take advantage of that by advertising in ways that would interest those who want to be with "in the crowd", so it is an endless cycle for people to keep buying new things, things they might not even be interested in but have felt pressured into buying. No matter where a person might be they will still be in a position where they feel like they need something new or more of something, for example: shoes, a new phone, clothes, a new drink, etc. Since there are so many opportunities now to make an income (e.g. social media) it is easier to be a consumer of items that are not even needed. Ever since the end of World War II it was easily noticeable how people were now able to consume more goods than before, prices went lower, and salaries became higher for white collared jobs. Since 1950, Americans have been able to freely buy whatever they please be it small or big. "The abundance of goods and ease with which to buy them led to a change in the American attitude towards shopping" (Scelfo 699). The idea of shopping malls has been a huge addition to the idea that satisfaction is endless and there are many available stores where you can buy whatever one …show more content…
Instead of being satisfied with what one buys, they just fall into a trap of mindless accumulation with the hope of being satisfied and happy with themselves. According to the article, "The End of Hyperconsumerism", “It turns out that while we indeed own more, we actually had less. Less purpose. Less time for personal relationships. Less joy. But plenty of stress, anxiety, debt, and irritating clutter" (Bennet and O'Reilly). There are people who admit that they are not happy with themselves but they try to fix it by focusing more on their relationships with themselves and others. They're breaking the spell of focusing on being a consumer and staying up to date on what to buy instead of focusing on their spiritual and mental wellbeing. Consuming and accumulating so many things was no longer making people satisfied. "Unhappiness with life as we have come to know it and a hunger for more. Not more “stuff”, but more substances and meaning. More purpose and fulfillment. A more satisfying way of living” (Bennet and O’Reilly). Due to the fact that the economy was doing pretty well and people had more time to spend their money, they saw no issue in going ahead and splurging on themselves. Later on, people no longer felt content with just their purchases and want to feel satisfaction and content in other ways, for example, connecting more with the world and the
1. The main idea is not only that owning stuff is not the key to happiness, it’s also that consumers today own more than they need to thrive which directly impacts the environment. Hill illustrates the environmental impact by showing statistics of global warming today versus the past century, and how consumerism is leading to a hotter climate. Hill debunks claims of buying happiness by discussing a study where stress hormones spike to their highest when people are managing their personal belongings. Hill’s most prominent example that consumerism is not the answer is himself, as he discusses some of the most stressful times of his life being right after coming into a large sum of money and buying whatever he fancied. When Hill concludes his article, he states that “I have less—and enjoy more. My space is small. My life is big” (213).
Have you ever felt like you are spending too much money at a time, on pointless items? Statistics show that American’s consumption rate of goods has increased by forty-five percent in the last twenty years (Statistics-Consumption/quality of life pg. 194). Americans are experiencing a thing that is many times known as “Affluenza”, this is when someone buys more items, such as clothes, cars, houses, or any unnecessary items. Many people talk about this so-called “Affluenza”, like it is a medical term. The word Affluenza is pretty much saying that people make money and work hard for their money and they like to buy nice things, because they can and they have the money to. They are fortunate enough to be able to have these nice things for themselves because they work so hard for it. Many Americans are not satisfied with their positions because of false ads, selfishness, and jealousy. Some celebrities, some of the wealthiest people on the planet have committed suicide because they are not happy with what they have and they feel like they need more items, when really they have everything they need to be happy, but they suffer from Affluenza and make these bad decisions.
“Proper society did not think about making money, only about spending it.”, said Barbara W. Tuchman. This quote shows our real world, and the people that spend money, but they forget about the value of money. Nowadays people want more that they have. They forget how many things they have, and how much money they spend. Most people when they see other people having something better, and in that moment they want to have it also. Also, people forget how hard they got that money, but how easily and quickly they spend it. In the article “The treadmill of consumption” by Roberts, he says that people are willing to go into debt to buy certain products and brands. That is right that people can do crazy things to buy certain goods.
America is built on materialism and it created the idea that happiness is formed from consumption. Advertisements have successfully turned every major holiday into an opportunity for people to empty their pockets. For example,
On a sunny Saturday morning with beautiful blue skies, and birds chirping, James Hamblin was in his balcony with a cup of coffee on his desk eager to write his short argumentative essay titled “Buy Experiences, Not Things”. In this short essay, Hamblin wanted to depict the fact that happiness in individuals, is mainly due to experiential purchases than to material purchases. One of the things he said to prove that point was “waiting for an experience elicits more happiness and excitement than waiting for a material good’ (Hamblin, 2014). He also stated that “a mind should remain in one place, and a mind that wanders too much is a sign of lack of happiness” (Hamblin, 2014). Instead of buying the latest iPhone, or Samsung galaxy, we should spend
“Proper society did not think about making money, only about spending it,” said Barbara W. Tuchman. This quote shows our real world, and the people that spend money, but they forget about the value of money. Nowadays people want more than they have. They forget how many things they have and how much money they spend. Most people when they see people having something better, they think that they need it also. Also, people forget how hard they get that money, but how easily and quickly they spend it. In the article “The Treadmill of Consumption” by Roberts, he says that people are willing to go into debt to buy certain products and brands. That is right that people can do crazy things to buy certain goods. Sometimes people
The Article “Perfection Anxiety” written by A.A Gill illustrates through his findings, that while the means to have everything you desire is by no means bad , neither is it the best. Throughout the article he talks about the phenomenon of “perfection anxiety”, a condition causing it’s host’s feelings of significant ennui, a circumstance found within the abhorrently wealthy portion of the world’s citizens. This psychological disorder is found to occur when the incomprehensibly rich have realized essentially, that they have run out of things to spend their money on, continuing to spend only to appease the ever imposing expectations and judgments of the wealthy.
It's true that this desire for things is what drives our economy. The free market has given us great blessings, but it has in some ways also put us on the wrong path -- the path to a selfish, unhappy society. Michael Lerner, who worked as a psychotherapist to middle-income Americans notes that
In life, especially in American culture, our existence revolves around the physical, materialistic possessions and goals. Every commercial, ad and salesman caters to those who need more “stuff”
individuals would want to spend time as well as money on their families and a lot of their purchases
In many high schools, if you don’t have an iPod or any other cool device, a replacement automotive or lots of cash, then the cool crowd typically doesn’t even notice a person. In nearly every organization, cash and things are the entire foundation, thus it is sensible that Americans would be thus materialistic. Of every last one of ideas inside economic concerns, supply and interest is maybe the most well-known by the overall population. Individuals' assets are constrained, yet everyone's needs and needs are boundless. “We shop to assert our superiority to the material objects that spread themselves before us,” (Rose 482).
...wo influences: “scarcity and socialization hypotheses”. The scarcity theory explains how "an individual's priorities reflect one's socioeconomic environment: one places the greatest subjective value on those things that are in relatively short supply" (1990, p.68). Thus, people who are less economically advanced focus a greater importance on material acquisition then the more affluent people. The socialization hypothesis explains that "one's basic values reflect the conditions that prevailed during one's pre adult years" (1990, p.68), and these values are persistently stable over a long period of time. Consequently, the people whom experienced a lack of possessions in previous years are more likely to develop an obsessive desire for material goods, while people who originated from wealthy families may focus on personal fulfillment at the expense of higher incomes.
As Green stated in the above quote people will never stop buying things. The people needs could be categorized into two main types. The first one are items or products that are vital for survival such as: food, water, apparels, place to live, access to medical services and so on. On the other hand, the second type of products consist into a wide range of different items and services. For instance, brand clothes, fancy cars, high-tech gadgets, multiple estate and high lifestyle are just a few examples of product that are not critical in order to survive.
Shopping is something that has to be done whether you enjoy it or not to get essentials needed. We all go places where merchandize is being sold for a specific reason. Whether you go to the mall, shopping centers, or your local grocery store, you 'll always encounter many types of shoppers. Shopping isn’t always as fun as it sounds to everyone, but it is something we often do. This is the only way we get products we need, by personally buying them. You have three main shoppers including impulse buyers, list makers, and bargain hunters.
Acquiring things like houses and cars only has a transient effect on happiness. People’s desires for material possessions crank up at the same, or greater rate, than their salaries. Again, this means that despite considerably more luxurious possessions, people end up no happier. There’s even evidence that materialism makes us less happy. People don’t shift to enjoyable activities when they are rich.... ...