Fight Club Consumerism Essay

Consumerism: To Buy or Not to Buy

Gandhi once said, "There is enough on earth for everybody's need, but not for everyone's greed." Almost everyone is guilty of this, impulse buying or splurging on the latest craze in technology. Take me for example. I probably have enough clothes and shoes to last me for a lifetime, yet I constantly find myself at the mall purchasing more articles of clothing that I simply do not need. Millions of people all around the world are guilty of the same thing. It's not because we need certain things, it's because we desire certain things. What is this problem called? Consumerism: the preoccupation of society with the acquisition of goods. It has been the dilemma faced in modern society countless times. Our
Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what they don't really need." Whether we admit to it or not, consumerism eats up every aspect of our lives. From the resources that we expend to the mere way of living, humans constantly feel the need to better themselves through worldly possessions. In the past decades, consumerism has become a pattern of behavior that not only affects us but also negatively affects our environment and the rest of society. This behavior not only leads us to believe that we can be what we see in television or the media, but also fuels our insatiable thirst for more things. Take television for example; what was once used for entertainment, has now evolved into a crafty device used for marketing. Every commercial is constantly raising the bar by introducing a product that is "new and improved." Advertising though, is not entirely to blame. It is but a mere tool that gives us a little push to purchase things. The rest of that blame is placed entirely upon us as individuals. Despite our awareness of this issue, the disappointing part is that we still succumb to