Overconsumption

Overconsumption in the United States is a prominent characteristic of our culture. We need to constantly consume or else we are not technically living. We consume our necessities: air, food, and water, and our possessions: cars, houses, appliances, electronics, and etc. The list of necessities and possessions in our American culture can go on forever, but this regular consumption manipulates us to desire more, want more, pollute more, and even waste more. Did you know, according to smallbusinesstips.wordpress.com and how stuffworks.com, America spends over $14 billion on denim jeans annually? Or that Americans go through $1.5 million Krispy Kreme Donuts in one day? How about knowing that the average electricity bill for a business is $15,849? Here in America, every consumer seems to be caught up in this action of over-consuming. Of course, many people start to over consume because they need to be constantly updated on the latest trends in fashion, they need to be consuming the larger amount of food for a cheaper amount of money, and they need to constantly utilize resources to run a successful business. Today’s society tells us that more is better; we see it in the world of fashion, food, and business. However, when it comes to the health of our bodies and our wallets, having more is no better than having less. In the fashion industry, new trends and captivating styles catch one’s attention in an instant. Brand name clothing or accessories costing over hundreds to even thousands of dollars have become the token of the fashion market. But is it truly worth it to spend all of that money on one article of clothing or one piece of jewelry? According to the peer reviewed journal, “A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Consumers’ Conspicuous Consumption of Branded Fashion Accessories” by Nizar Souiden, Bouthaina,M’Saad, and Frank Pons, the authors report that possession of branded fashion clothing and accessories are what motivate consumers to buy more and more branded