Consumerism

 

Peek into History: 

Cave person 1: Hey did you check out my latest outfit made out of the exotic banyan tree leaves and fibres? They're handpicked. 

Cave person 2: Oh yes! Looks very good on you. Speaking of trees, did you notice my new axe? It's by Lucas Vuitton. 

Cave person 1: I bet it's pretty sharp! They make the best ones. 

Both laugh together. 

Doesn't seem like a legitimate conversation. Yup, it's just a joke. No citizens of the stone age could ever be imagined talking about this. However, when you think about two people sitting in a cafe and talking about similar topics, it seems pretty normal. What am I hinting at here? Is it already in the title? Probably. 

Consumerism is a wildly modern phenomenon. One could never imagine the commoners of the 14th century gaping over the latest Prada collection with desperate eyes. Facts say that humans now own more than they ever did in history. Look around your abode, you'll find stuff everywhere! Furniture counts as stuff. Consumerism basically means the excessive consumption of extras. Buying what you want instead of buying what you need. 

This phenomenon is closely related to capitalism. Too many new words. Now, what does capitalism mean? Capitalism is often thought of as an economic system in which private actors own and control property in accord with their interests, and demand and supply freely set prices in markets in a way that can serve the best interests of society. The essential feature of capitalism is the motive to make a profit. The art of profit-making. Capitalism is an integral part of our economy. Consumerism drives capitalism. The more you buy, the more they earn, which results in more GDP. 

So either you fill your houses with clutter and live a comfortable life or maybe let go of some comfort and live in mindful societies. This was the dilemma of most economists and capitalists. Selling unnecessary commodities and having wealth to help the underprivileged OR poverty with virtue. The answer was apparent for most. Let's come back to current times where we're already adapted to the first option. 

Consuming what is sold to us is proving to be an absolute disaster. The amount of waste that is being produced is bizarre. Our consumerism is proving to be a threat to the economy instead of boasting it. The planet is crumbling and, we can't handle our lives. In short, it's a mess.  

Retail Therapy? Buying for pleasure does not give happiness in the long term. Usually, it makes a hole in our pocket and adds clutter to our homes. We live in largely materialistic times. I thought it was cool to have Amazon packages on our doorsteps every day. It was a sign of prosperity. Instead, it should be considered shameful. Filling spaces with the most useless items became a trend. I was harming the planet little by little. My shopping carts represented how materialistic I had become. 

Clearly, consumerism causes harm to the planet, mind and to some extent, democracies. Lots of money is required to reverse the damage. The economy can be handled. Newer and greener jobs have endless possibilities. 

Companies create the most waste and their carbon footprint is beyond anything in the world right now. At the ground level, we consumers fuel this waste creation. Therefore, we must stop. 

Overthinking purchases - Re-think your priorities. I'm sure we can be creative and reduce our clothing purchases by reading this blog. We can definitely skip purchasing the new iPhone and maybe use our furniture for a little longer. 

Peer Pressure may push you to try the latest trends. Social media will influence us to make unnecessary purchases. You choose what's important to you. 

ZERO Waste Lifestyle is an amazing way to reduce your carbon footprint. Creating little to no waste by composting, avoiding packaged materials, relying on homemade things etc. 

Little by little, we may have cleaner, more simple lives.