The Influence Of Overconsumption On American Culture

It is commonly viewed that consumption is a very natural human process, which in fact we humans don’t see as a problem. The reality of consumption is simple; marketing that is leading towards destruction. This whole matter of consumption would not exist if it were not for prestige. With this process of consumption beginning to continue, the human race is becoming closer and closer to non-existence. The human race has just evolved into a world where individuals believe, or pretend, that the Earth's resources are infinite and that they will never be destroyed. That is where they make a vital mistake.

In the introduction of Chapter 1 “Consuming Passions” “The Culture of American Consumption,” it talks about how American popular culture is grounded in consumption. With the media in our hand, it is a huge influence towards the advertising world. With how styles of clothing have been changing over time, this talks about how from the earlier times wearing a simple type of blue jeans can change between who wears them over the years. As stated, “ By the 1950s, however, blue jeans began to bear an additional class significance as “casual wear” for middle-class Americans.” (72). In 1970 these pants have then become a simple fashion wear. They have also been introduced as a hipster type wear. Then in 1980 through the early 2000s, baggy jeans were

Today, Americans live in a world where we are constantly encouraged “to keep up with the Joneses” whether it be from advertisment, longer shopping hours, or multiple other factors. A surprising statistic you can find in the book, Affluenza: How overconsumption is killing us--and how to fight back, where it states that “70 percent of us visit malls each week, more than attended houses of worship” (15). Shopping has become so convenient in recent years due to online stores, as well as the growing number of shopping centers, that it’s become a problem. Kalle Lasn, co-founder of the magazine Adbusters and starter of the Occupy Movement, believes that, “Overconsumption is the mother of all of our environment problems” (197). Consumers have come to see shopping as a fun activity while spending time with friends or family. When really over consumption of material goods ultimately leads us to unhappiness, the unsatisfied desire to want more, and possibly put you into debt.

There is a very big epidemic of consumerism within the United Sates and it is a result of the contribution of many factors within our society. It is evident that this is not necessary when one views other communities throughout the world but America has yet to make the changes it needs to solve this problem. A big problem with retailers and producers of products is their use of sweatshops, which are located in and out of the U.S. Sweatshops are a huge problem because they are known for having very low safety standards for their employees and mistreat their employees consistently. The reason they are used is because they can give the company better profits off of their goods.

As a nation we all participate in daily consumption of food, clothing, shelter and some sort of transportation. to survive. We are destroying our environment with waist. On average Americans disposed over 200,000 tons of edible food daily. Pollute our air and water, destroy our forest, just so we can drive the newest car or have the latest crafted oak furniture We use top soil to build malls, so people can consume even more. In "The shadows of Consumption, Peter Dauvergne explain the coast of consumption by globalized corporations, trade, and finance." (Dauvergne, Peter. The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2008. ).

In the world buying the things you want compared to buying the things you need is a consist problem for many people in America. Depending on a person’s financial situation, they might never be able to buy the things they want and just focus on the things they need. Most middle class Americans focus on paying for essential things such as: food, water, housing, and transport. My views towards consumerism is that people should focus on quality overbecause there are some moments in life that lower quality things will have negative effects.

Obesity has become a symbol of our American culture and ways of life. Across the U.S. Americans are eating for a multitude of reasons; socially, emotionally, and nutritional. Becoming overweight does not happen overnight, it’s a gradual process that’s ignored. It is estimated sixty-eight percent of Americans are overweight, with thirty-four percent obese. Eating comes easy when the meals prepared are delicious; whether baked or fried, simmered over a heated grill. A large amount of people does not take time out to read the packaging labels for nutritional values in a lot of the foods that’s purchase; the ingredients on most labels are not that hard to understand concerning the calories, sugar, or saturated fat, which is not good. However,

There are many trends in American society ranging from popular dance moves to political opinions. Some of them are beneficial and improve the society as a whole, such as the increasing popularity in clean energy. However, there are some on the rise that are not as beneficial, such as American obesity. America is not the only country that faces issues with obesity, but the US has the highest ranking in the world for the total number of people who are overweight. In September of 2014 it was shown, “every state is above 20 percent (1).” It is a very large issue and commonly debated in American culture. Due to the fact that obesity not only increases chances for health problems, but can also cause decreases in confidence and acceptance into society. There is a lot of public interest to resolve this issue, which many organizations have been founded to try and increase awareness for positive body images, and others are trying to decrease the percentage of obesity in America.

To my knowledge, many people, including transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau have observed these issues begin to develop in America as early as the nineteenth century. By stressing the ideals of living one with nature, far from the realms of society’s corrupting influence, they have, inevitably, sparked a movement of minimalism, that merits much more attention than it receives. This motivates me, as an individual who intends to major in urban studies, to conduct research and statistical analysis to determine why our culture has a predisposition for consumerism, provided that most Americans are already heavily indebted. Exploring the multiple factors that account for such a prodigious trend in our country could help us identify and counteract the effects that it has on our environment and economy. Of course, this is an immense challenge to overcome, yet it is also one of the most urgency; it is, inevitably, a threat to our existence, especially once the human population starts being replaced by human

Obesity plays an undeniable role in today 's culture. Many factors such as increased meal size, food being advertised more often, lack of physical activity required for jobs, technology becoming a necessity in everyday life hindering activity, and unhealthy food being available at almost every corner of the streets. Ethnic backgrounds also play a role in obesity. Growing up I dealt with being overweight and had to make major changes in order to get to my goal. I have also watched family members and friends during my life succumb to the new normality of American culture that has begun to deteriorate their lives, bringing harm not only to themselves but those who care for them. I want to help educate those based off my first hand experience in the subject.

A Conservationist Manifesto In A Conservationist Manifesto, Scott Russell Sanders argues that consumerism is a destructive force in the nation. He offers a solution: “As an antidote to this culture of consumption, extravagance, and waste that dominates America today, we need to imagine a culture of conservation.” Sanders encourages readers to think of a new way to exist in the natural world. Sanders enlightened my perspective on the mass amount of consumption that we suffer in America.

In the novel Brave New World , the denizens of Aldous Huxley’s dystopia live in a rigidly structured consumer culture. From young ages, they are conditioned to hate the outdoors so that as adults they will prefer activities that require large amounts of manufactured products and long trips that utilize the maximum amount of infrastructure. That is what keeps the world humming, and there are important similarities between Huxley’s vision of social control through pleasure and the rigid policing of tastes, activities, and consumption in our own 21st century culture. The new trend and buzzword now is globalization, and the contemporary reaction to the expansion of global

Coming across this chapter food resources has really alarmed me. It is even more alarming when we know that the food we are consuming in excess amount is no good for health but still we are promoting the unhealthier lifestyle of eating. I come from the other side of the world where people hardly have a little knowledge on what they eat. My country is a developing country and as it is developing, the preference for meat is seen in large amount. I have seen the agricultural land turn into something else. The very people who use to cultivate crops have now stopped doing so. People seem to leave the land bare rather than cultivating. People there, do not have simplest idea of what they are doing. They also do not have any knowledge on what they

As a country, Americans love to shop. Whether in malls, grocery stores, on the Internet, or elsewhere, the culture of buying is deeply ingrained in American culture. Fueled largely by advertising and the current credit system, America’s consumer culture is depleting our planet’s finite natural resources and polluting our environment. Consumerism has instilled in Americans an artificial, ongoing, and insatiable desire for mass-produced and marketed products, and the money with which to buy them, with little regard to their actual usefulness or necessity. This constant desire to acquire more possessions is poisoning the planet, as it can never be sated and thus results in the never-ending exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources, and

Consumerism is the center of American culture. Americans tend to confuse their wants with their needs. With new advances in technology, as well as the help of advertisers, people are provided with easy access to new products that seem essential to their everyday life, even though they have survived this long without them. People cannot live without food, clothing, and shelter. But realistically, according to people's different lifestyles, more than food, clothing, and shelter are needed. Most people need to work to survive. Unless a job is either in their own home, or within walking distance, a means of transportation is needed. Whether it be a vehicle, money for a taxi-cab, or a token for a ride on the subway, money must be spent