Are You Suffering From Excessive Consumerism? Here's how to know!

A good example of excessive consumerism is when I got inspired to skate. I imagined that I would be practicing skating everyday and would love it and I thought Impala's one hundred in forty dollar skates would fulfill that. After I wasted my money on those skates, I realized that it was all a fantasy. After putting them on and attempting to do the things I imagined I would do, I realized skating was not for me. I tossed those expensive skates into my closet and they were rarely put on again. Most of the time, instead of being worn and skated with, those skates are in my closet collecting dust.

It´s another extra object that kind of just sits around in my room, along with my clarinet, sticker maker, and Chinese fans.

Everyone in America today, including us students of E&S, buys and consumes, from online shopping, grocery stores, and malls-- but its only where capitalism exists, like in our country, excessive consumerism might be normalized.

What is excessive consumerism?

Excessive consumerism, basically, means to buy extra things you don't need. There are not only financial consequences to excessive consumerism but also mental consequences.

Hayes from Investopedia says it refers to ¨the tendency of people living in a capitalist economy to engage in a lifestyle of excessive(or too much) materialism that revolves around reflective, wasteful, or conspicuous over-consumption.¨ Ofei from Minimalist Vegan says ¨Consumerism implies that we exponentially acquire goods even if that means going into debt, compromising health or wasting precious time while we´re still alive.¨

Why is it so common and even encouraged?

Our capitalistic country supports this lifestyle of excessively buying things you don't need because the economy depends on it. But what our country probably don't care about is that it can be a major issue to a lot of people's lives, maybe even your life?

Jade Gonzalez Izaguirre, a fellow student who used to participate in trends, told me that she had Fila shoes when they was out. She also told me that they didn’t even feel right on her feet that she doesn’t wear them anymore.

One thing I recommend before buying something you absolutely don't need is first defining the difference between need and want. Need means food and shelter and things that will help you with your daily life, want means an idea or something temporarily to do or have.

Also to know yourself, are you REALLY going to do this-and-that with that thing you want to buy so much? Know your past experience on buying things and use it when buying more things so you don't repeat past mistakes. These are basically tips for myself but they could help you too!

Becker from Forbes states “Excessive consumerism leads to bigger houses, more expensive cars, trendier clothes, fancier technology, and overfilled drawers. It promises happiness, but never delivers. It results only in a desire for more and it slowly begins robbing us of life.”

Another quote from Becker: “Greater realization that this world is not just material. True life is found in the invisible things of life: love, hope, and faith. Again, we all know there are things in this world that are far more important than what we own. But if one were to research our actions, intentions, and receipts, would they reach the same conclusion? Or have we been too busy seeking happiness in all the wrong places?”

Cons of excessive consumerism

Excessive consumerism hurts your pockets obviously. But what you may not know is that it also hurts you and here’s how: Advertisements feed on your anxiety and insecurity whether it is wanting to fit in or feeling as if you don’t have enough. One thing it also loves to feed on is your happiness. They tell you you will be happier if you buy this thing, then you buy it and then you don’t feel anything. Remember what Becker said “It promises happiness, but never delivers.” Buying things do not solve happiness and it actually puts people in a deeper depression, fueling their anxiety as well because they are wasting money. They feed on that desire to “upscale lifestyle norms,” you wanna be like this character on TV with the big house and nicely decorated room or you wanna have a big house similar to the houses from those sitcoms. Sitcoms aren’t filmed in those houses by the way, their filmed on a set with the rooms separated and apart. Look it up! The media plays a big role in this of course and so does society!

I asked Jamya Rhodes, another student, what possible cons there are to excessive consumerism and here’s what she said: “OCD maybe...Yeah, I feel like its an obsession when you just buy stuff with no means for it.”

I remember Missy Elliot saying something about a “drip demeanor.” The music industry, media, and people all around you pressure you to get with the trends especially when it comes to clothes, shoes, etc. Do you have crocs? What are you gonna do with those crocs when they are not trending anymore? These are the questions.

Excessive buying does not make you happy. That thing they are telling you on TV that will make you happy, won’t! I don’t know if trends really make everyone happy but I know it definitely doesn’t for me. What about you?

Hayes from Investopedia says “...Consumerism is often criticized on psychological grounds. It is blamed for increasing status anxiety, where people experience stress associated with social status and a perceived need to "keep up with the Jones's" by increasing their consumption.”

Alternative: Minimalism

Not only does it affect you but it also has a great negative affect on the environment: Supporting and buying from all those plastic based companies is not saving us from global warming! Of course though, its mainly the companies’ fault.

So what do we do if we want to stop excessively buying! It’s stupid to just tell you “Stop buying a lot!” because its pretty clear its a powerful habit and even a ADDICTION for a lot of us. But just like with addictions, we have to take it one step at a time. I encourage you to research more on this topic and try minimalism, and see what it does to your life.

Minimalism is basically going by your daily life with only the things you need or living with fewer material possessions.

The minimalists say “Minimalism is a tool that can assist you you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around.”