Negative impacts of consumerism

Consumerism is a system that continuously inspires people to expect and accept ever-increasing demands and services. The consumerist mentality is developed to keep the profit cycle of the capitalist societies going on. Everything becomes a product in a consumerist society. Consuming new products and services seems to be the goal of life of countless individuals. Quite clearly, consumption goes beyond simply satisfying the needs for food, shelter, and so on.

Product manufacturers are virtually forcing people to buy new products through various techniques including advertisements. In reality, people are buying products or services not to meet their needs but to increase their social status and (perceived) happiness. Individuals want to express their personality through their use of consumer goods. As a result, the negative effects of consumerism are increasing day by day.

 Ever since the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the eighteenth century, driven by technological and economic development, the rate of human consumption has been increasing at a fast pace. In order to cope with this growing consumption rate, the producers also started producing goods and services as they wished and leaned towards the capitalist economy.

The main goal of the capitalist economy is profit at any cost and by any means. As a result, inequality between the rich and the poor continues to grow. Moreover, consumerism consider savings as a kind of disease. In a consumerist society, identity and personality of a person are determined on the basis of the type of consumer goods they use. The kind of consumer product the person is consuming and the brand of the consumer product, has become vitally important for people’s personality and identity. And this is creating an existential crisis in the society.

As globalization accelerates, we are increasingly relying on natural resources and ecosystem services all around the world to support our patterns of consumption. By being part of the consumer society, we are therefore all part of a wide range of global challenge.

 I would like to draw an example of the crisis that is being created in the health sector especially in the developed world due to excessive consumerism and uncontrolled living. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that during 42.4 per cent of adults in the United States were suffering from obesity. The main reason for this is of course eating habits. Many people in the US and rest of the developed world tends to consume more calories than they actually need. Here again another interesting phenomenon can be noticed. That is, many of them either go to a fitness center or seek the help of a dietician to reduce their excess fat. But the sad thing is that for this over-eating, others in another part of the world has to go hungry. It has been estimated that if everyone on earth consumed the same amount as the average US citizen four planet earths would be needed to sustain us. It is estimated that every year, Europeans spend $11 billion on ice cream – yes, ice cream! This is nearly enough to bring education to every child on the planet. Twice. Quite obviously, we need to reduce consumerism and change our current lifestyles, otherwise the planet we know may cease to exist. At present we are consuming resources at a highly unsustainable rate and this is causing mass environmental destruction and social problems across the globe.

Consumerism is having a seriously adverse effect on the environment. Mills and factories are being set up by destroying forests for the purpose of consumerism. This is increasing the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere, which in turn is also increasing the risk of natural disasters. An environmental report says millions of species could become extinct due to climate change. And those who will survive by fighting this havoc, will constantly adapt themselves according to the rule of “survival of the fittest” This is one of the worst side effects of consumerism.

Consumerism has not ensured people’s real happiness. Instability has increased among them. There is a tendency among the citizens of the countries controlled by consumerism and capitalism to run away from themselves. Consumerism is leading mankind to self-destructive behaviours. Consumerist society is reminding us at every moment, “I don’t have enough. There is money but not enough. There is house but it is not big enough. There is time but not enough of it”. Those who are attracted to consumerism and use consumer goods for social status and recognition have fallen prey to the deadly temptations and provocations created by the capitalist system.

Human beings have become so preoccupied with running after enjoyment that they have no time for introspection.

In history slavery, monarchy and feudal hegemony have trampled on humanity and peace of the world. Capitalism and consumerism have replaced those evils.

Researchers have suggested that beyond a certain point consumerism cannot increase happiness.  Consumption has increases dramatically throughout in the recent decades but happiness levels have remained relatively stagnant.  When consumerism is dealing with a person’s basic needs it can increases happiness but beyond that it has a much less impact. The euphoria that is caused by consumerist enjoyment is fleeting. And people are using more and more consumer goods to turn this momentary happiness into lasting happiness, running endlessly. But they do not understand that there is no real contentment in consumerism.

The writer is a student of economics at the University of Chittagong