Nowadays, we can witness a tremendous increase in consumerism. Today, people tend to purchase more of the latest models of different appliances, electronic gadgets, and clothes. On the contrary, I abhor this trend, as I believe that this way of living damages humanity and the planet.
To begin with, many people mistake such behaviour as a manifestation of improving well-being across the planet with a plain logic: the wealthier you are, the more goods you can afford. But if we examine the contemporary pricing of other products, we will notice how enormously expensive accommodation is in thriving cities. Instead of trying to save money for a property, youths that couldn’t buy it earlier spend their salaries on “small joys”, e.g., food or clothes. Therefore, upcoming consumerism is a signal of economic issues that can lead to a crisis.
Moreover, companies these days translate such behaviour as common and even honorable. Maintaining artificial demand for fashionable goods and humbling those who are not interested in trends are effective methods to raise money. Decades ago, a single piece of clothing could last for years and still be a symbol of vogue. As the opposite, the same thing would be worse in quality and be dumped as an outdated one in a season. With such an approach, individuals consume many times more than in the past without an adequate reason.
One of the essential principles that mankind should follow is ecology, as we are responsible for our actions and our health relies on the environment. Fast-fashion and the upward growth of demand leads to bigger plastic production, which significantly deteriorates the Earth. Materials from fossil fuels do not decompose and poison every living creature. That is why we must control our purchases carefully.
Taking everything into consideration, the increase of materialism is a dangerous alert that something is going wrong with the worldwide quality of life. Although it has some positive short-term effect on our mood, the consequences harm us and surrounding creatures.