In the article, “Brands R Us” by Stephen Garey, he talks about the negative effects of consumerism. Consumerism is the belief that people should spend a lot of money on items and services. He states that though many people don’t realize it advertisements have an effect on what we buy. Garey believes that every single person should limit their exposure to these advertisements. He also says that people are not consciously aware of advertisements but they subconsciously store them in memory. Consumerism can have negative effects because they cause the consumer to purchase unnecessary products, costs people a lot more money, and they don’t have to be truthful.
First, consumerism leads to people buying products that they don’t need. They see a commercial, and even though they may not be watching closely, they are more likely to buy the product after viewing the advertisement. Garey says in his article that commercials stick in peoples’ head subconsciously, and when they go to the store their brains lead them towards getting that product. From experience working in JC Penny’s, they offer coupons constantly through advertisements. People are twenty times more likely to purchase from that store even if they don’t remember the coupon. By seeing an ad stating they can save money, the consumer comes to
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Consumerism causes people to spend so much money on unnecessary products without their knowledge or consent. They are exposed to this excess useless products in the hopes that they spend their hard earned money on them. As Garey says in his article, people will spend more on the brand name just because of the advertisement, when they could get the same product for less money. When it comes to cereal I have to get the name brand or it will taste disgusting. When in reality it is probably the same quality, whether I get the name brand or not. It is etched in my brain that brand names are superior because of the