Consumerism And Why Is It Important To American Consumers

You may ask what consumerism is and why is it important to American consumer? First off consumerism is defined as the fact or practice of an increasing consumption of goods. This is the act of buying and selling of goods and services whether you need them or not. Every time the public turn on the TV the radio, or go for a drive in their car they are witnessing this. This has become the social norm and most of the time the public don’t know this is happening. Now why is this important to the general public? The American consumer need to be aware of the ideas that are being feed to them and driving their life and choices. On the other hand all of this is not a bad thing it’s gives them drive to better their life and provide the necessary needs for their loved ones. “Our daily lives driven by Consumerism”
Veblen called this “conspicuous consumption-the desire to demonstrate one’s prestige and status based on one’s material acquisitions”. By the consumer trying to keep up with the Jones this leads to needless spending on items and services that the consumer doesn’t really need. This covers all aspects of the general public’s life they are told what to drive, what to wear, what to eat, and where to live. With all these ideas being forced down the consumer’s throat it makes it hard for some consumers to remain true to their self and live within their means. This can result in bankruptcies, maxed credit cards, poor credit, and overdue bills. This all adds onto the stress level of the American public’s already crazy, always on the go life. It’s ok to buy the things we want if we can do it while living within our means. If the consumer has to start maxing their credit cards and going in bankruptcy to obtain these items then we are