Compulsive shoppers, or shopaholics, have in recent years been spotlighted on television programs and women’s magazines. They have become topics of conversation in the realm of pop psychology. While the media sometimes uses the term loosely or in an off-handed manner, a true shopaholic shops out of compulsion, making purchases long after they are over their heads in debt, shopping when they are feeling emotionally distressed and they do not shop because they merely enjoy it.
Without a doubt, we live in a very “spend-happy” society. As a whole, we are living above our means and many of us are drowning in debt. Many people, no matter their level of income, view shopping as a hobby. They take weekend-long shopping excursions, spend money they do not have, and often regret their purchases the next day. Most people tend to spend more than they earn or have because with the luxury of credit cards they may do so, purchasing items of a thousand dollars or more and only paying a monthly minimum as low as five dollars a month. What they don’t realize is that the thousand dollar item collects interest and by the time it is paid off they have spent two thousand on the item! This is where the feeling of regret comes in. After the shopping spree, most shopaholics feel that they may have spent too much money and the realization of debt begins to settle into their mind.
Shopaholics use shopping as their “drug” or “therapy”. When feeling emotionally down or depressed some compulsive shoppers think buying a nice Gucci purse can put a smile on their face. They feel it will make them happy and it does temporarily. It acts as their therapist, making them feel like a better person.
Shopaholics don’t merely shop because they enjoy shopping. They shop because they feel they HAVE to have something. They truly believe that item is a necessity they must posses. A true shopaholic will only stick to brand names such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Versace, and Christian Dior, the list goes on.
I believe many people adore shopping and sometimes shopping can relieve our stress. I think it is good to shop once in a while but not always, because a lot of shopping may cause financial problems which could increase our stress rather than relieve. The author interviews a woman named Laura, she said “I am constantly suffering from megamall withdrawal. I come here all the time” (Guterson 105). Then her friend Kathleen replied, “It’s a sickness. It’s like a cocaine or something: It’s a drug and I need to be here” says Kathleen. This become as a shopaholic because for mall shopaholic, shopping triggers some part of their brain and make them feel happy and excited for making purchases. We buy a lot of things which we do not need then we just waste our money. I think we need to reduce buying things which is not important for us because we worked so hard to earn money and in a minute we could waste all the money. People should have more maturity. We need to think wisely, spend less and save more money for our future
Shopping is an important part of American culture. Anne Norton outlines this in her essay “Signs of Shopping.” In a country in which people seek to be as unique as possible, Norton points out that people shop to find identities; she explains this by stating certain clothes carry an identity, women tend to be a bigger part of the American shopping culture, and that shopping from home still has the same effects as shopping at the mall.
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.
Who doesn’t like shopping? I can’t name one person. Phyllis rose states many positive qualities in her essay “Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today”. One of the positives qualities she mentions about shopping is that it’s a form of therapy. Being that I love to shop. Rather it’s online or going to the stores it’s something I also find very therapeutic. You don't really need, let's say, another sweater. You need the feeling of power that comes with buying or not buying it. You need the feeling that someone wants something you have--even if it's just your money. To get the benefit of shopping, you needn't actually purchase the sweater. After a long stressful work or school day there’s nothing more relaxing than walking around
Credit plays a significant role when it comes to consumer spending, but can have a significant impact if misused. It doesn’t take much for consumers to get in over their head with the overuse of credit, credit debt can quickly mount if left unchecked. According to Stinson (2016), “The road to a credit card debt pileup is often paved with spending that seemed like a good idea at the time. But too many well-intended moves can lead you into a financial ditch and ruin your credit” (Stinson,
Consumerism has always been a big part of society back in the golden days. In today’s society, the ongoing debate of wants and needs are not justified by an individual’s wealth, but it is rather opinionated by the generalized public. Not only are the consumers getting caught in this mess, but many retailers are being sucked in as well. Retailers, have to stay up to date with the latest trends, to make sure they get their products across. Human identity is no longer determined by how much a person makes an hour, but by the commodities they possess. Consumers are so centralized on the materialistic items, that they forget what is more valuable and important. Unfortunately, the frivolous consumption has taken over the
Why did I choose to write about workaholics? The main reason is that the general picture about these people is bad, but there are a lot of them around us and very often we admire them. They are doing exactly what they love – work – and they can never have enough of it. Although they spend most of their time working, surprisingly they are happy. They show so good results in what they do. But the consequences are great. Family life is disrupted, intellectual horizons narrow and the consequences to the workaholic's health are severe: fat, lack of exercise and stress. Why do people become workaholics? When a person becomes workaholic is there a way back? How should people around him act in order to keep both him and themselves happy? Lets start explaining what workaholics are, how they act and then we'll get answers to this questions.
“Confessions of a Shopaholic” by Sophie Kinsella is a quirky take on modern consumption trends. The story address some very important themes faced by capitalist societies today. Whilst maintaining a consistent level of humor accompanied with a discreet romantic plot. This novel is about a 25-year-old girl named Rebecca Bloomwood trying to make it on her own in London, England. However, her addiction to shopping is her tragic flaw that leads to her downfall. The book follows her story as she encounters issue after issue as they escalate in all aspects of her life. Firstly she is thousands of pounds in debt from over spending. Secondly, she is ironically a journalist for a financial advisory magazine, which begins to translate into compulsive lying. Eventually everything crashes down and she must reconstruct her relationships, job, and spending habits.
There are people who also like blaming the fashion industry for the this problem. They are saying that they are forcing people to think that they need the things that they are selling will make you happy (Elisa). This is simply not true, the problem of addiction is much more complex than somebody simply wanting to keep getting something they like. The problem stems from the brain and can be caused by genetics or the environment the person lived around. The person with Compulsive Buying Disorder can’t control the fact that they want to keep buying things. Even then, it’s not only clothes that most of these people like to buy; these guys usually buy anything they think is mildly
First, the higher level of hedonic consumption in women can lead to impulse buying. Buying can be a hedonic experience that involves pleasure. Moreover, the research found that hedonic consumption is statistically correlated to impulse buying and women scored higher in hedonic consumption than men (Tifferet & Herstein, 2012). Thus, women are expected to show higher levels of impulse buying. Second, women are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression more than men (Tifferet & Herstein, 2012). Maybe, women use impulse buying as a way to get rid of the bad mood. Finally, the evolutionary development in men may prevent the behaviour of impulse buying (Tifferet & Herstein, 2012). In thousands year ago, men were responsible for looking for resources and it might require the skill of hunting. A hunt requires great care in the timing of the “purchase” which means if we strike too early and the prey will run away. Men may inherit this characteristic to be born with patience when it comes to making decision for buying.
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.
Everyone likes shopping, but everyone has their own way of spending when they go shopping. I love shopping, but I hate being at the mall, if I don’t need to be there then I won’t be there. I’ve noticed that when I have money, I do not buy anything, and when I do not have money I want everything I see. From my experience I’ve observed that there are people who shop smart, people who are just plain addicted to shopping, people who join another person while shopping, basically called window watchers.
However like most people, my relationship with money can still be improved. I do have moments when I may go on a spending spree like this week when I want to relieve myself from stressful situations. I believe it would be more beneficial to channel my stress in a more constructive manner rather than be impulsive when buying things. By the end of this week, I had mixed feelings when I realized how much I spent. I was aware of how much I was spending but, I was also aware that I don’t generally spend this much. Even though I felt somewhat guilty, I know that I will continue to save money as a way to pay up for all the spending I did this
It represents that buying something also brings another problem in people lives like things that can be broken, scratched, or stolen and need to be cleaned, organized, managed, and maintained. In addition, shopping never quenches people’s desire for gratification and someone always has more. Gratification is hard to find in the purchase of more stuff and no matter how much have, it’s never enough. Patrick Lapeyre published the novel “Life Is Short and Desire Endless”, and argues that people’s desire is limitless and endless, so people can’t satisfy their life, even if they have no problem and have everything that they want it in. One of my friends spends money recklessly to solve her problems or relieve her stress, but it doesn’t make any positive progress on her problems. Conversely, she is always short of money, and she is oppressed by worrying to pay her credit card debt on time every month. My friends and I try to convince her to stop buying things to solve or get away from her problems, but she never listens to our advice. She is addicted to spending money even if she doesn’t need it. She thinks that buying new stuff can solve or get away from problems, but it brings another problem to