Consumerism And Happiness Essay

In a TED Talk about the relationship between consumerism and happiness, Dr. Anna Leybina examines the factors that contribute to happiness and how consumerism of products does not always lead to happiness. She addresses these topics by applying scenarios and discussing her personal research. One fact that I learned and found interesting was that in the process of consumerism, anticipation of buying something creates more happiness rather than buying itself. She states that the process of actually waiting for something produces lots of dopamine in the brain. Another striking fact that Dr. Leybina told was that spending and having the urge to spend money on someone else rather than doing so on ourselves increases one’s level of happiness, as …show more content…
It kept mentioning how businesses are constantly finding new ways to attract consumers and earn money. Altogether, I feel that marketing, advertising, and consumerism are considered simply as byproducts of our capitalist economy. These three components are essential as businesses will do whatever it takes in order to obtain profit. Even though some businesses such as large IT or automobile companies have good intentions and functions, I feel that their ultimate goal is to earn profit. Therefore, consumerism is just another part of our economy and it can’t be solely classified as good or bad. To me, consumerism is necessary to keep our economy going, businesses thriving, and also maintaining our standard of living. It also ensures that jobs are growing and encourages innovation and technology. In other respects, people may get carried away with consumerism and advertisements if they continually buy products and are left unsatisfied. Consumerism is merely a piece of our economic system and each individual consumer can determine whether it is good or …show more content…
In a way, the documentary does hint that advertising can potentially have positive effects. In addition to increased profit for companies, advertising also helps consumers understand their needs and wants. For example, when the video discussed the purpose of educational devices and TV shows, it implied that advertising can help promote progress and provide significant messages about how we can improve our lifestyles. Marketing and advertising could bring our attention to issues in our world, thereby informing us and driving innovation. Yet, I think advertising can be dangerous when it becomes over-manipulative, especially in the minds of innocent children. I don’t think there really is a clear line to determine whether an advertisement has good intentions or not, since people would probably associate commercials with business and profit ideals. I feel that this distinction or characterization becomes apparent over time, after a product is purchased and when it creates effects on the