Weird Al has a popular parody entitled EBAY. He discusses things like snow globes and used bath robes and how he will buy anything someone is selling just for the thrill of the buy. Many websites like Ebay and Amazon have made it easier than ever to get anything person can imagine. Suddenly it is 3AM and I need that Alvin and the Chipmunks lunchbox even though my current lunchbox is packed in the fridge and works just fine. The United States is a capitalist society, meaning that we are controlled by private owners and are for profit. This is why this country identifies with and is consumed by the idea of consumerism. Privateers want make a profit so they boost up the supply and demand so people will buy into consumerism and make it work for them. As long as the big CEO’s are making money, they do not care much for the general public. Much like anything in the world, consumerism has some benefits but also major downsides that if people are not aware of, they can fall right into its trap. Our society is great at taking things for face value which is bad when looking at interpersonal relationships but also dangerous when it comes to consumerism. People will blindly follow or buy anything without understanding it first which can take good thing like consumerism and make it almost deadly.
The original concept and idea of consumerism was a great thing. Consumerism focuses on two major good things which Mark Scot highlights in his article What you Need to Know About Consumerism. Number 1 is Economic growth, meaning “There is increased production and employment which leads to more consumption,” (Scott 2). If more people want to buy more things than it creates more jobs for people who have to make these things. If more people are making more money than they can buy all of these things. Number two is the idea of innovation, which suggests that “Since consumers are actively looking for the next-best products/services to buy, producers/manufacturers are under constant pressure to innovate,” (Scott 2). This concept is fantastic because that means, manufactures will always be creating the latest and greatest for their consumers. In the movie Network by Patty Chayefsky once can see the argument for why consumerism is a good thing. Ms. Dunaway’s character is constantly presenting new show ideas and concepts hoping that they will stick. If the company gets more shares that means the network is performing better and everyone can make more money. Making new ideas for new shows sound like a great idea to boost a company’s rating but they are just ideas. The movie shows that if the networks do not keep than problems can arise. The issue with consumerism is that is usually most prominent in capitalist societies. Once the privateers want to continue to get their profits to rise, they will do whatever it takes, which is where the dangers of consumerism come into play.
Debt is an increasing problem in the United States and more people are spending well outside of their means. This is one of consumerism’s biggest dangers. Jahlelah Baker notes “The mass production of luxury goods, the saturation of media with advertisements and promotions for branded products and services, and even rising levels of personal debts signal that more people are buying goods excessively,” (Baker 3). The media fills up people’s pages with supposed items that they need, even if they have to put themselves through personal debt or change themselves to get it. The academy award winning movie Network brings to life the danger of consumerism. In one of Howard Beale’s many speeches he shouts “You do whatever the tube tells you. You dress like the tube, you eat like the tube, and you raise your children like the tube. You even think like the tube. This is mass madness. You maniacs,” (Beale Network). With the rise of social media people do this at an even more alarming rate. If Kylie Jenner is promoting s product, her millions of Instagram followers will get it with little or no research. Companies also do not think about how consumerism makes people feel. Dr. Nicki Cole highlights how “People who are more consumerist tend to have lower satisfaction with their lives, a greater tendency to compulsive spending, higher incidences of depression, and also lower ethical standards,” (Cole 3). People are lowering their ethical standards and suffering from depression due to consumerism but the privateers profiting from this do not seem to make a big deal about this whatsoever. Andrew Abela also notes that “It is not the desire for material prosperity itself that is wrong but rather the desire for having more in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself,” (Abela 3). This quote summarizes the exact issue with consumerism. It is not a bad thing for people to want things but when it becomes a means to and end than it can become problematic. The film Network notes the positive of Ms. Dunaway’s character coming up with ways to make the shows better. Once their main Act, Howard Beale begins to lose ratings, they have to find a way to get rid of him. The last scene of the film shows him getting shot, which encompasses the biggest fear of consumerism. It shows that this nation has likely gone too far with it and has made it into something way bigger than it ever needed to be. A man lost his life over the obsession of profits. It poses the questions, is that any different than two mothers punching each other out on black Friday for the newest Video game?? The movie Network is an extreme example of the dangers of consumerism but the scariest part ids Chayefsky is becoming more and more right each year. Consumerism is getting bigger and soon enough we are not going to be able to stop it. Take five minutes and count how many people on social media are pushing out products. This tea will help you lose 100 pounds or this cream will make you look 50 years younger. The whole world is pushing products and services even if people are unaware of it. Someone could make an inspiring post about anything and if the reader is not keen enough to see #Ad next to it, they may believe that the review is 100% honest and factual. Much like technology and other mediums, the first step is making people aware of the world around them. Having more informed citizens can help them to make smarter decisions and begin to be more cautious of what and why they are spending. In a world where we are being controlled by the products and services, it is important to discern how to make consumerism work for us and not let it take us over.
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