Admit it… We have all wanted to be like Madonna, as a material girl, living in a material world; seduced only by a lifestyle flushed with the riches of the world. This iconic song’s provocative lyrics, let alone the magnetic music video attracted many to be invited into the life of a materialistic girl; who wanted nothing more than to sit in the lap of luxury, knee deep in all the material treasures that only a wealthy boy could offer her, all the while disregarding all attempts of romance and relationships. Attraction to the materialistic things in this song succeeded in showing the glamorous side of materialism, but what if this lavish way of life is only temporary and you are left with nothing but a “penniless” feeling of unhappiness and
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This link between the state of well being and material wealth leads primarily into the first reason why consumerism may be linked to the mental and emotional issue of many people in American society, and that is that it gives false hope of greater life expectations. Devoted consumers, are often enslaved to this illusion of a life of grandeur being brought to reality by material wealth. They declare unrealistic expectations expecting some sort of positive outcome, however, unfortunately, this notion remains only an illusion and the level of happiness is diminished once again by false hope. That is what consumerism does best; it gets people to buy into things that do not end up improving their lives. Being primarily based on desire, consumerism preys on the these hopeless materialists, sending them through a wild goose chase for whatever goods they believe will help as a way to bring about redemption and self-determination, as well as improve relationships and happiness. However, Edward Diener, PhD, a well known researcher of subjected well being and materialism, claims that strong consumerist acts of “getting and spending,” is a factor to unhappiness because it “takes away from the things that can nurture happiness,” such as affairs with friends and family. Therein, with the consumers …show more content…
It is a lifestyle that is oriented around the idea of never being happy with what you have. Therefore, the third reason why Consumerism may be linked to the mental and emotional issues of many people in American society is because it is a way of life where the state of mind is in a constant frenzy of insecurities; both emotional and financial. Everyday we are faced with insecurities, often leading to having negative impacts. Think about the long-term effects society places on their well-being when holding strong materialistic values. Even though there is still research being done to answer the complex relationship between the mind and materialism; in Tori DeAnglis’s article, “Consumerism and its Discontents,” she points out whether materialism evokes depression, or depression ignites materialism, we do know for sure that there is indeed a relationship present. This is a relationship that all of society should all be concerned about, because consumerism is leading people in the direction of potential dangerous threats to our welfare. When consumerism encourages investing in the next big thing, it is in actuality using its primary function of manipulation, by manipulating our desires to match what is trying to be sold. How scary is it to know that societies own decisions can be so easily manipulated by consumerism just
This link between the state of well being and material wealth leads primarily into the first reason why consumerism may be linked to the mental and emotional issue of many people in American society, and that is that it gives false hope of greater life expectations. Devoted consumers, are often enslaved to this illusion of a life of grandeur being brought to reality by material wealth. They declare unrealistic expectations expecting some sort of positive outcome, however, unfortunately, this notion remains only an illusion and the level of happiness is diminished once again by false hope. That is what consumerism does best; it gets people to buy into things that do not end up improving their lives. Being primarily based on desire, consumerism preys on the these hopeless materialists, sending them through a wild goose chase for whatever goods they believe will help as a way to bring about redemption and self-determination, as well as improve relationships and happiness. However, Edward Diener, PhD, a well known researcher of subjected well being and materialism, claims that strong consumerist acts of “getting and spending,” is a factor to unhappiness because it “takes away from the things that can nurture happiness,” such as affairs with friends and family. Therein, with the consumers …show more content…
It is a lifestyle that is oriented around the idea of never being happy with what you have. Therefore, the third reason why Consumerism may be linked to the mental and emotional issues of many people in American society is because it is a way of life where the state of mind is in a constant frenzy of insecurities; both emotional and financial. Everyday we are faced with insecurities, often leading to having negative impacts. Think about the long-term effects society places on their well-being when holding strong materialistic values. Even though there is still research being done to answer the complex relationship between the mind and materialism; in Tori DeAnglis’s article, “Consumerism and its Discontents,” she points out whether materialism evokes depression, or depression ignites materialism, we do know for sure that there is indeed a relationship present. This is a relationship that all of society should all be concerned about, because consumerism is leading people in the direction of potential dangerous threats to our welfare. When consumerism encourages investing in the next big thing, it is in actuality using its primary function of manipulation, by manipulating our desires to match what is trying to be sold. How scary is it to know that societies own decisions can be so easily manipulated by consumerism just