Essay about Consumerism Causes Unhappiness - 852 Words

Theresa H., a woman in Massachusetts was, inarguably, strapped. She had lost her $18,000-a-year job several months earlier, and her live-in boyfriend didnt earn much. Health insurance for her and her daughters was out of reach: I just punt and hope were healthy, she said. And yet, in her apartment, were the trappings of upper-middle-class comfort. The big-screen TV and VCR. The crush of name-brand toys. And outside, the fairly new Lincoln Town Car--for which she was several months behind on payments. The tableau was at once absurd and sad--but not altogether surprising. We are, after all, a nation of accomplished spenders, slaves to advertising and status symbolism. The conspicuous fruits of our consumption shout out our†¦show more content†¦In part, thats because the gap between rich and poor has widened, creating a highly visible class of superwealthy who set outrageous spending precedents for everyone else. At the same time, TV ads, not to mention the programs they punctuate, have brought images of Lexuses and Rolexes, directed at the rich, to the gazes of average Joes. So designer cosmetics are now the middle-class norm, and two cars in the driveway (one a sport-ute, naturally) a necessity. This theory is difficult to confirm. Like much of Schors book, it relies on logical leaps and readers gut-instinct acceptance. True, per capita spending has swelled for decades, but at a lower rate now than in the 1960s, before two-income families proliferated. Moreover, when asked in a Roper poll how much income a family of four needs to live in reasonable comfort, Americans responses since 1978 have trailed inflation. In any case, Schor never proves a connection to the wealth gap. Likewise, she cant show that the number of downshifters--those who escape the trend by working and buying less--is any greater than a generation ago. Its unfortunate: The study lacks the empirical validation that made The Overworked American so compelling. The Overspent American is strongest when it employs imaginativeShow MoreRelatedConsumerism And Consumerism854 Words   |  4 Pagesmore. Many people no longer work for a sense of self-satisfaction, rather they work to obtain an excessive amount of material goods to feel good about themselves and maintain their status in society. All of this exemplifies consumerism. According to Merriam Webster, consumerism is defined as â€Å"the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable; also : a preoccupation with and inclination toward the buying of consumer goods.† It has persuaded American society into believingRead MoreDeath Of The American Dream Essay1387 Words   |  6 Pagesrepresented in The Great gatsby and American beauty. With the idea that the American dream causes self destruction is portrayed in the texts Fight Club and Revolutionary Road. 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