Thread: Consumerism / Materialism

I think it's a little of both. It would be nice to have nicer things than I do now, but I'd also like something to work for.

The story of stuff does a good job explaining how our present consumerism was designed, and forced on top of us without us knowing it

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Materialism has been around for thousands of years, but consumerism is the present condition that's plaguing us. Materialism, as in the desire for material possessions isn't necessarily wrong or bad. But consumerism has us wanting or believing we need things that we don't actually want or need.

My sister watches a lot of house hunting shows, and the people on it make me dizzy and feel sick. People simply aren't really thinking WHY they want such a huge house. Why do they WANT giant living rooms when the only thing they end up doing in it is watching TV, which doesn't require a whole lot of space.

Or why do they want a giant master bedroom. Why? Why? I want a huge room but that's only because I actually use the space and turn it into my art studio. Every corner, every inch is used. I even push in my computer chair, and use the space on the floor for drawing. And I see these people who want these GIANT bedrooms....for what? To sleep in of course! I don't understand why bedrooms need to be so huge when all these boring people do in them is sleep.

Where is the desire for so much space coming from?

Sometimes I think these people want such giant homes is because they aren't getting enough fresh air and feel squished in. Go outside and take a damn walk! Space is precious............!

I see other people on these shows insisting that each of their child has their own bedroom. One mom who couldn't afford three extra bedrooms for her three children, gave the two bedrooms to her two toddler sons. And for her daughter, she had to sleep in a designated spot in the living room. How messed up is that?

Others go even further and insist that each child has their own bathroom. What's next? That each child gets their own living room so they don't fight over the TV?

Actually, I've already seen that DISGUSTING!

Originally Posted by juroara

The story of stuff does a good job explaining how our present consumerism was designed, and forced on top of us without us knowing it

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

I second this, The Story of Stuff is great!

I believe that the rampant materialism in the modern world (in the United States, at least) is partially the result of increasingly sophisticated and effective marketing campaigns. Advertising in the modern world is becoming more and more scientific, with companies funding millions of dollars worth of research to better understand what drives people to make purchases. They have discovered not only how to motivate you to purchase a product you don't need, but also how to insinuate a certain brand or product into your own sense of identity. It's powerful stuff, and people often take it for granted or are just not aware they are being manipulated so deeply.

Now, I am a believer in capitalism but at the same time I don't buy into the hyper-consumer culture that exists today. I try to stay abreast of the psychological tactics that advertisers use to motivate people to buy things they don't necessarily need, and thus insulate myself from their influence.

Simple things like hitting mute during commercial breaks (on the rare occasions I watch television programs), installing ad blockers in my Internet browsers and training myself to ignore the eyesores that are billboards have greatly reduced my unnecessary consumption over the years.

I still buy things, of course, but I don't find myself getting caught up in consumer hype as I used to when I was younger.