In simple terms, consumerism is the idea that the more you have, the better. Of course, this may sound appealing. But consumerism is taking a toll on how people live their daily lives.
Many social media apps play a significant role in spreading consumerism. The most popular being Instagram and TikTok. On Instagram, people may see their favorite influencer posting photos with a product, and immediately believe they need the product too. On TikTok, there are thousands of ads, and hundreds of sponsorships directed towards viewers to get the idea that buying things considered “trendy” will make them better off, when they will be perfectly fine without the newest trendy water bottle, shoe or beauty product.
Not only does consumerism affect bank accounts and the state of the planet, but it also affects how people live their lives and how they are treated. Many people are not able to afford everything that is trendy and are shamed for it. This is often very prevalent in a school environment. Students are picked on daily because of the brand of shoes they wear, because of the phone they have, because their jewelry is not real, etc. This severely affects children’s mental health and can lead to low self-esteem.
“I have seen people get made fun of for what they wear just because it is not name brand since kindergarten. It is really sad,” freshman Gigi Miller said.
Consumerism also puts the idea of materialism into people’s heads. Materialism is the thought that having nice things is more important than true connections with those around you or simple things you need. With materialism, people often strive to make as much money as possible, upstage their peers and have the highest social status. This can lead to becoming someone you truly are not just because you wanted to fit in with everyone or have the “best” appearance in the crowd. However, this is not what is genuinely valuable.
It could be argued that consumerism helps brands reach the right target audience, and that if people like something, there should not be a problem with them buying it. While it may be true that people buy what interests them, it is also true that a lot of this influence is not from earnest desire, but from the pressure of society to fit in, to be considered stylish or to achieve high social status. Following achieving a higher social status, the cycle of consumerism repeats itself. Once you get into the habit of buying popular things, it is hard to stop. This leads back to the idea of materialism.
Consumerism heavily affects the environment. Levels of pollution are significantly higher due to production of goods that are high demand. Natural resources are often used in the making of products, which decreases the amount of those resources we need to save as natural recourses can not be replaced.
“I do not support consumerism. There are a lot of reasons, but I would say the thing I dislike the most about consumerism is the way it affects the environment,” freshman Grady Baker said.