overconsumption
Why Do We Over-consume?
One of the challenges that world faces today is definitely overconsumption caused by means of capitalism. Unfortunately, overuse of goods has become a vicious circle in which people can never get satisfied with what they have already had. It amplifies its side effects on society just like an infection inside of a human body. Moreover, materials economy has made people want more, as a result, buy more. Consumerism which became an uncontrollable avalanche caused by capitalist “gods” with the help of advertisements created a generation for whom consumption became an indicator of status.
Capitalism and its segments such as imperialism and liberalism have divided modern society into classes. In order to make more money, power holders encourage society to purchase more goods that causes production to increase. Therefore, each newly released product makes the previous ones out of fashion. People who can afford the latest luxurious products shape their wardrobes, garages and houses even their friends according to that circulation. However, members of the other part of society who cannot afford these splendid goods, become outcast and marginalized. That alienation creates huge differences among the classes and it strengthens the hierarchy in the society. Thus, what individuals undergo is mostly a disconnection, separation and competition. That competition between classes consequently helps materials economy gain power as a phenomenon of overconsumption.
How do big bosses create their kingdom in front of the eyes of common people? The answer is clear: They construct a world of lies which is accepted readily and cannot be rejected easily. It is called “the magic of advertisement”. People are exposed to all kinds of advertisements at every single moment of their lives: on TVs, on the internet, on newspapers, on billboards, on cars, on magazines and so on. However, the tragic part of the story is that people are never aware of that illusion.
One of the challenges that world faces today is definitely overconsumption caused by means of capitalism. Unfortunately, overuse of goods has become a vicious circle in which people can never get satisfied with what they have already had. It amplifies its side effects on society just like an infection inside of a human body. Moreover, materials economy has made people want more, as a result, buy more. Consumerism which became an uncontrollable avalanche caused by capitalist “gods” with the help of advertisements created a generation for whom consumption became an indicator of status.
Capitalism and its segments such as imperialism and liberalism have divided modern society into classes. In order to make more money, power holders encourage society to purchase more goods that causes production to increase. Therefore, each newly released product makes the previous ones out of fashion. People who can afford the latest luxurious products shape their wardrobes, garages and houses even their friends according to that circulation. However, members of the other part of society who cannot afford these splendid goods, become outcast and marginalized. That alienation creates huge differences among the classes and it strengthens the hierarchy in the society. Thus, what individuals undergo is mostly a disconnection, separation and competition. That competition between classes consequently helps materials economy gain power as a phenomenon of overconsumption.
How do big bosses create their kingdom in front of the eyes of common people? The answer is clear: They construct a world of lies which is accepted readily and cannot be rejected easily. It is called “the magic of advertisement”. People are exposed to all kinds of advertisements at every single moment of their lives: on TVs, on the internet, on newspapers, on billboards, on cars, on magazines and so on. However, the tragic part of the story is that people are never aware of that illusion.
Cited: Schor, Juliet B. ‘’Work and Spend’’. In G. Goshgarian (Ed). The Contemporary Reader. New York: New York University Press, 1996. The Story of Stuff. Dir. Annie Leonard. Narr. Annie Leonard, 2010, Online Video. <www.storyofstuff.org>