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The bad effect of consumerism
Materialism in our society
The bad effect of consumerism
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The bad effect of consumerism
Materialism in our society
The bad effect of consumerism
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The bad effect of consumerism
Many Americans love shopping, especially during the holidays, with its captivating discounts and sales, which lead to uncontrollable splurges on irrelevant things. According to Quindlen, this is an example of America’s crazed consumerism and it is absolutely absurd. In her article, “Honestly, You Shouldn’t Have”, she states that there is currently an assumption that purchasing American merchandises symbolize an act of patriotism and at the same time, build a strong economy. She also states that we, as Americans, need to acknowledge important spiritual values such as friends and family rather than material goods.
Nevertheless, the interviewees frown upon being labelled as someone that values luxury over reasonable spending. Hence, they expressed their emphasis on the importance of needs over wants, and that practicality should triumph over extravagance. They see “limited” consumption as a form of self discipline, where excessive spending was only justifiable when it is spent on the family and invested in the children. If
They are spending the money that they do not have on unnecessary products. “I was letting brand names control my life and I needed help.” (Cleveland, 280) “In my mind, clothes made the woman and everything else was secondary.” (Cleveland, 279)
Being materialistic isn’t such a bad thing, but some people take it to the extreme by either wanting too many things or having less than enough to survive. In the book “Into the Wild” Chris McCandless does not feel that materialism is important. When Chris tries to be less materialistic he takes it to the extreme and tries to live off of the wilderness with only a 10 lb bag of rice and a .22 caliber rifle. In the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakaur, Chris McCandless is very anti-materialistic and gives away all of his things, proving that having a lot of possessions was not something he valued. Materialism is a big issue for Chris.
We don’t make many purchases that are large and flamboyant, but our family is not in a struggling socioeconomic class either. This also in line with how our family tends to go for bachelor’s degrees; it is an easier way to provide opportunities for higher pay and a middle class life. Some other aspects of the frugality of our family includes my mother cooking meals from home. She stayed at home while I grew up and my father worked. We would eat out only on occasion or for occasions.
Nowadays, Asian-Americans are still the target of stereotypes against them, but those stereotypes have evolved with the time. Among those stereotypes, a stereotype pretends that Asians are so called bad drivers, and another pretends that they are all smart and good in math. The first is often due to the image medias and experience give us to Asian traffic, overall China, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and India because of the growing population and accidents. Furthermore, in Asia, traffic rules are hardly ever respected. The origin of the fact that Asians are smart and good in math can be explained by the Asian educational system which promotes sciences, math and technologies in school’s programs to create new searchers who could be useful to economic growth and scientific progress in development countries.
In Anna Quindlen’s essay, Stuff is Not Salvation, she argues that one cannot determine how “better off” they are, by the amount of belongings they possess. Quindlen states that Americans have, “an addiction to consumption, so out of control that it qualifies as a sickness.” However, she is not just referring to an addiction to buying meaningless items, but the idea that people are purchasing items when they have no money. Quindlen validates her argument with the tragedy of a walmart employee that as trampled to death on Black Friday, and the concept that many people have lost their sense of appreciation and gratefulness. She also argues that there are indeed things we need, however, a large majority of people’s perception of want and need are obscured.
America is more today than ever before a consumerist society, which saw its start in the 1920s. Present day Americans just like in the 1920s do rely on the production of goods to keep up with their demands and are spending their money on more than just their household necessities. Another thing that has stayed the same from the 1920s to present day is Americans constant need to be entertained. Because of the boom of the 20s more and more people had more money to spend an that spurred the start of people having more freetime and using their money for entertainment. American society especially right now is obsessed with immediate satisfaction which all saw its start in the 1920’s as an entertainment based culture as well.
“Stuff Is Not Salvation 1.Anna Quindlen gained the knowledge of appreciating our everyday needs rather than the materialistic things that more than often we convince ourselves we need. Choosing to spend money on pointless “ junk” such as; designer clothes and accessories, flat-screens, gadgets, and immense homes isn't worth half the money. Especially when hard earned money is needed much more for rent, health insurance, and tuition. Quindlen gives an example of how a mother made a statement saying her children will appreciate the smallest things in life when having less possessions. She also gained many of society's attention and credibility by connecting the essay with the recession.
The label of white trash even existing is seen to be appalling because of the former notion of white citizens being the alphas and that angered other White Americans(Eastman & Schrock pg 207). Stereotypes were and are a problem but Southern Rock & Roll musicians embraced theirs and appropriated with it because of capitalism. While no one deserves to be put into a category based on prejudice, White Americans made their stereotypes a positive while minorities struggled and still continue to struggle everyday due to stigmas placed on them. Different classes of White Americans were discriminatory against one another. If you were to portray this white trash image, you’d go against the grain so to speak and denounce their privilege.
American 's gained their independence because of a decision by its ' colonial citizens to pursue freedom through the legitimate use of armed force. Disparate American colonies fought on a unified front for a set of defining values and principles centered on their customs, traditions, and desired institutions. Americans ultimately prevailed because of a deep shared sense of patriotism and nationalism. American 's declared their independence from Britain 's control based on the defining principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These values and principles have endured and transcended since 1776 through multiple wars which have challenged American values, principles, and institutions.
Commentary Essay on Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today The American people are focusing more on materialistic items, people are shopping for pleasure more than necessity. This article comments on how people are shopping to release stress or to gain pleasure. Even though the article was written in 1984, it is still pertinent to modern time. In Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today by Phyllis Rose, varied sentence length, different point of views, and anaphora are utilized to prove that society is becoming consumed in materialism.
It should not be about buying a house, car, boat, etc. Why materialism made a sudden leap in this era, I would think the media has something to do with that. It’s understandable to work up to those additions, but they should not just be the “goal” that one works up for! Somewhere along the way, the pursuit of pleasure started taking hold of the dream. Life should not be shallow.
Elise M. Boulding once said, “The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.” This shows that Americans tend to buy any unnecessary products and materials for no necessary reason. Usually most items go to waste which include paper, food, and any type of clothing. There are many people out there who buy things and do not even use them to their full extent. For example, many people buy food, but the food has not been used and could still have its label on the item from months ago.
Whether for better or for worse, all nations exist in a constant state of social and dynamic change; it is an inherent trait of populated lands. As an example of this phenomena, the United States of America is currently exhibiting changes in its citizens’ general priorities. With current substance-revering trends in the United States of America, it can be accurately stated that American materialism is growing in its pervasion. A material-oriented view on life is becoming increasingly conventional within American society. Boasting of the harmful impacts of this mindset, some citizens have claimed that ‘Americans are overly materialistic’ in their entirety.