What are the Effects of Consumerism on Society?

A century ago, Hannah Arendt, a philosopher, warned us about the advancement of technology and how humankind could use it to consume the world: “That consumption is no longer restricted to the necessities but, on the contrary, mainly concentrates on the superfluities of life...” (Arendt 1958).  Today, we live in the era of mass consumption that Ardent warned us about. So, what is consumerism, when did it emerge & what led to its expansion? 

Consumerism is a sociological and economical belief that goes hand in hand with the never-ending cycle of the acquisition of goods and services in a surplus way; so basically, consuming beyond a person’s needs. The concept of consumerism started after the Second World War and then intensified with the start of the industrial revolution. It describes the effect of paralleling one’s happiness with materialistic possessions and consumptions. Many researchers argued that consumerism divides the beneficial connection between nature and the human spirit (Berry,1995; Emerald,2004) whereas others view consumerism as a concept that “lifts people from drudgery “, gives people a purpose in life, and connects crowds using a common consumer culture (Mc Daniel,2000). Hence, with this duality of viewpoints, this article will explore the major benefits and drawback effects of consumerism on society.

One of the major benefits of consumerism is its important impact on economic growth. Nowadays, spending power has been growing with an increase in  people’s income and amplification of their living standards. The more people spend on goods, the greater the production of those goods, employment rates increase, and thus, the economy grows. This process lessens homelessness and  provides food and job security for those in need. In addition, consumerism encourages creativity. Since we live in a world where competition is predominant, individuals and organizations are now obliged to come up with innovative products that others don’t already possess. The pressure of always wanting to do better than the other business competitors pushes these organizations to come up with better products that correspond to society’s needs.

In addition, consumerism impacts people’s culture. The increase in the consumption of luxury goods in our everyday life has altered human interaction. Going back to Marx’s “commodity of fetishism”, there is this habit of overlooking human interactions when looking at the pursuit of consumption. Most importantly, consumerism refers to an economic policy that emphasizes the liberty and free choice of the consumer. However, are the consumers actually free, or are they turning into the slaves of consumption? Indeed, this is the paradoxical side of consumerism. Products are always being updated, with the long series of Apple iPhones being a primary example. This rapid change of products and the usage of the term “new” will result in dissatisfaction with the “old “, leading to an eternity of dissatisfaction. A study conducted by Ackerman, MacInnis, and Folkes in 2000 proved that consumers can become less satisfied with their products and develop a greater desire for other products even if they have the same ones but in older versions. Consequently, this explains why companies like “Apple” always update their electronics because individuals are in an “endless pursuit of wanting more” (Campbell, 1989). Indeed, consumerist societies push people to adapt to this consumerist way of life (with the help of advertisements and the media) by showing them that it is essential for their existence and happiness. 

Hence, it is not just about acquiring the goods but also the notion of “being someone”. People started seeking their own identity through consumerism: “the consumer culture encourages us not only to buy more but to seek our identity and fulfillment through what we buy, to express our individuality through our choices of the product” (Kilbourne, 2006). People are then encouraged by social forces, in particular consumer culture and marketing, to be themselves, to discover their individuality and freedom. However, a big paradox surfaces here: the tragedy of this culture is when people actually believe that they came up with an idea that they identify with and they think that it’s unique and different, yet they discover that everyone is doing the same later on (listening to the same music, dressing the same way, etc.). So, here is one more question: is individuality a myth in the modern consumerism culture? George Simmel pointed that out precisely by questioning this notion: how can individuals be unique and special if they are swallowed up in the machinery of the modern culture of consumerism? So, as a consequence of this modernist consumerism culture, people don’t have a sense of being distinct but rather treat each other as transactions. 

Moreover, the world we live in advocates for fast-paced and unsatisfactory decisions. Research has shown that impulsive buyers are unreflective in their thinking and pay little attention to the consequence of their purchase (Kacen & Lee, 2002). So, impulsiveness can be seen as a characteristic of the consumerist culture. 

Apart from affecting society's culture, consumerism leads to global inequality. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, resulting in a huge gap between the rich and the poor. For example, in 2005, 59% of the world's resources were consumed by 10% of the wealthiest population in the world. This shows that globalization and consumerism lead to the unequal distribution of wealth. Moreover, with the increase of demands for goods comes the increase of production, which leads to more pollution, amplified land-use, and exploitation of natural resources. Waste disposal is also becoming a worldwide problem where the oceans are becoming giant disposal pits. Consumerism is leading to pollution and resource depletion and scarcity.

To conclude, consumerism is the excess of what a person actually needs, and it has its advantages and drawbacks. However, the negative side of it outweighs its benefits. It had a deep impact on individuals’ psyche, resulting in developing a constantly unsatisfied state of mind. The concept of consumerism threatens to destroy the human spiritual connection with nature. A radical change must be seen: we need to find ways to protect and conserve resources for generations to come. Also, institutions must implicate massive amendments and modifications, and most importantly, educating people on this unsustainable consumption would be a strong weapon to address this worldwide issue. 

References:

Ackerman, D., MacInnis, D., & Folkes, V. (2000). Social comparisons of possessions: when it feels good and when it feels bad. ACR North American Advances.

Campbell, D. (1989). The romantic ethic and the spirit of modern consumerism. London, UK: Blackwell.

Emerald, N. D. (2004). Consumerism, Nature, and The Human Spirit. USA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Kacen, J. J., & Lee, J. A. (2002). The influence of culture on consumer impulsive buying behavior. Journal of consumer psychology, 12(2), 163-176.

Kilbourne, J. (2006). Jesus is a brand of jeans: How advertising affects the way we think and feel. New Internationalist, 393, 10.

McDaniel, J. (2000). Living from the center: Spirituality in an age of consumerism.St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press

Sessions, G. (1995). Deep ecology for the 21st century (No. 363.7 Se72d Ej. 1). SHAMBHALA

Simmel, G. (1903). The metropolis and mental life. The urban sociology reader, 23-31.