There is no denying the fact that most of us are a mere product of consumerism. Life in the 21st century is different than how it was for our ancestors. Not to sound too idealistic, but our elders were more in tune with nature and themselves.
How often have we heard them remind us of the simpler times when materialism didn’t drive each move we made.
They were not victims of load shedding or shortage of water and gas. They mostly relied on their feet to move from place to place as opposed to fancy vehicles. There was a heightened sense of security as well – perhaps this is why we always heard them talk about contentment in their lives.
Then came modernization.
With the dawn of brands and ads being broadcasted, our sense of self-has been completely contaminated. The triviality of things has been spread thin across the globe defining societies and increasing normative pressures. People buy beyond what they require often to quench their impulse and sometimes to even parade an envy-worthy ostentatious lifestyle.
Under the plague of consumerism, people have turned necessities into luxurious oddities. Eating out in cafes and restaurants has become a routine of utter extravagance. More than that, weddings meant to bring two families in unison have been converted to a platform of fanfare and pretension. All in all the commercials promote a grandiose lifestyle and there are masses following it blindly even if it means having their own neck under the knife.
It is impossible to overlook the notion that money is a valuable asset to live life. Opulence has become the epicenter of the society we live in. It induces agony and disrupts the overall peace of the people seeking to make ends meet. When happiness is defined by the number of times a family dines out or the kinds of cars that have been divided amongst the members of the family – then it is bound to be tainted.
We live in a society that is in dire need of the realization that if a meal is not flaunted on social media it is not a meal wasted. There is more to living than the most expensive clothes and luxurious cars. There is more to the pretension that makes us people pleasers for a millisecond before we turn to lives of immense hollowness.
As a society, we need to get a grip on ourselves and kick consumerism to the curb.
To read more about the effects of consumerism click here.
