Consumerism In Swollen Expectations

Consumerism. The drive which makes us feel like we need everything, no matter what the eventual costs and problems would create. “Swollen Expectations,” an article that looks into the effects of consumerism and different ways it has changed our lives, claims that our generation sets higher material expectations than any other generation. Some will argue that this isn’t the case, and that our world is changing for the better. However, I would disagree with those arguments. After discussing the article “Swollen Expectations,” I agree with the concept that our world today is based over materialization, due to advanced technology, the feeling of needing to be better than everyone, and the vision of requiring all of the unnecessary things in life.
Technology has changed the world. Now to say if it’s for the better or the worse, is up for another debate. Now if we dial back a few years, “the good ol days,” the case begins to crack. In today’s society, a smartphone has become essential for what seems like everything. Jobs, schools, and at home, the handheld computers sometimes rule over us. Everyone who owns one has fallen …show more content…
As said best by a car salesman in “Swollen Expectations,” “For a lot of people, an SUV is a status symbol...So they’re willing to pay the thirty-to forty-odd thousand dollars to drive one of these vehicles.” My mom disagrees with this statement as she says that for our family, a SUV provides more space transporting both ourselves and items for holidays. As long as our family can depend on it, my mom doesn’t care about the status symbol of a vehicle. However, that doesn’t stop car manufactures from developing stronger and larger SUVs to compete with their competition. At the same time, prices for these automobiles skyrocket. These manufactures help promote consumerism by releasing “bigger and better than ever” vehicles to make the population feel obligated to purchase