In recent times, many individuals in some areas are inclined to discard items that are used in a short amount of time. This essay will discuss issues caused by this phenomenon and describe possible effects of the problem.
There are two major reasons for this negative development. One possible catalyst is the psychology behind the fear of missing out. Many individuals only purchase items that are trendy, mostly because they are afraid that they will fall behind their peers and unable to catch up to the social trend. A prime example for this is mystery boxes, many teenagers nowadays are hyper-invested in these plastic trinkets due to the wave of trend it is carrying on social media platforms. When these items are out of trend, a majority of mystery toys are discarded, leaving huge plastic dumps that deteriorate the environment. Another reason for this negative development is the deceptive practices of businesses. Many companies actively reduce their products’ lifespan, as a result, consumers are often required to constantly replace their old product for a new one.
The menace of overconsumerism can inflict serious damage on the environment. One possible repercussion regarding these consumers’ actions contribute significantly to excessive waste. As consumers are encouraged to purchase and replace products at an increasing rapid pace, enormous quantities of junks end up in the landfill, which then contributes to soil and water pollution. Another major concern is the depletion of natural resources. In order to satisfy growing consumers’ demands, factories must constantly extract raw materials such as minerals and fossil fuels, thus damaging the ecosystem and reducing a huge quantity of resources for the next generation.
In conclusion, the practice of consumerism is heavily influenced by buying items via trends and companies’ effort to persuade frequent replacement of a product. This leads to various consequences, including excessive waste and the depletion of natural resources.