Americans are addicted to consumerism!

I think too many Americans here in this country are addicted to what is known as consumerism. They like to buy things. That's all so many people think of. They like buying commercial products. "Mommy can I have a toy for my birthday?" You've asked this question before haven't you? People just ask for things. That's all they think about. What to ask for. What to buy. There runs no dull second in the life of an American who is addicted to consumerism. To them consumerism is like alcohol is to alchoholics. :w: they like it so much that they must have more. They won't ban consumerism because they can't do without it. Why? It's because people feel the need to own more things than someone else so they can appear more cool and have more of an influence on some other person. Consumerism what you need is a good and a good beating. I swear I really do! If people stop being addicted to consumerism I'll be jumping for joy! Imagine this: consumerism .

Why must people rely on consumerism to live their lives? We would sure be a lot better without it!
:bnghd::bnghd::bnghd:

Question;

Where do you buy your goods?

What kind of PC are you using?

Who is your ISP?

Consumerism is the basis of our economy. If no one is buying anything, then no one is making money either.

Do you grow and raise ALL of your own food? Do you make your own cleaning supplies? Did you build your own home with your own two hands? I mean come on, I am sure you are a consumer too.

The problem with consumerism doesn't factor in until someone is so obsessed with consumerism to the point they don't care about anything buy buying things. That is an addiction just like any other addiction. However that doesn't mean that everyone that likes to buy stuff is a shopaholic, just like not everyone who enjoys alcohol is an alcoholic and so on.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I would think Europe and Asia are starting to become addicted to consumerism, too. You can't just blame Americans! The Chinese want their cars, appliances and gadgets too.

the key is moderation.

what is the alternative to consumerism anyways? Consumerism seems to be a part of capitalism - so the opposite would be communism/corporatism, right? Neither of those sound like great options either.

reply to post by kidflash2008

Yes, but Americans have always been addicted to consumerism here. I'm not talking about the regular consumer who goes and purchases what they need for their own living expenses... but there are people out there that waste their money on unnecessary things..

I blame these major corporations and their advertising campaigns. They know where the market is at. They have major researchers probing the minds of those people that are really just trying to make it by each day and they are getting very successful at using advertisements to bring awareness to their products. The average consumer who sees these advertisements ends up feeling compelled to buy these products. The problem I believe lies within the fact that the average consumer is too easily affected by television advertisements.

Just because you like a commercial doesn't mean that you have to do what it says or even get its product. Like with the GEICO commercials... they have been extremely successful at getting a lot of people interested in their service... even many of whom don't own a car. It's because these corporations have gotten good at making their commercials in such a way which they attract the consumer into buying their products.

It's like with television. Most of television is paid by a lot of advertisements from major corporations or political commercials. The blind consumer that is not aware that these advertisements are intended to target their mind will talk about the commercial they see with their friends... and tells their friends what they like about them. What starts out as a television commercial soon spreads to word of mouth... and then it becomes viral marketing from that point on.

Let's take a look at the Capital One commercials for their credit cards. They show some cartoonish commercials. They draw a lot of interest because their commercials are shown on television a lot and people like what they see. That's what it is: IF PEOPLE LIKE WHAT THEY SEE THEY WILL GET IT.

The average consumer is so drawn to a product by its looks and its style that if it looks good, if it feels good, they feel inclined to get it. There are ways to overcome this urge to buy a product that looks good or that they have seen on a commercial that made them want to buy it but the average consumer doesn't care. The average consumer will get the product if it looks good.

That's why people are so materialistic in this world. I don't think that there is another country on Earth that is so addicted and dependent on consumerism as this one is. After all we live in a capitalist society and corporations thrive on consumerism.

I think that blaming advertising for over-consumption is like blaiming McDonalds for obesity. Where is the personal responsibility?

Like I said, it's an addiction like any other addiction. Someone who is addicted to shopping needs help like anyone else who has an addiction.