Overcoming Consumerism

Overcoming consumerism - What is Consumerism Consumerism is a social ideology in which it is encouraged to buy as many products as possible and replace them because of the smallest flaws or simply to have a newer version. - Inequality of consumption · Wealthiest 20% are responsible for 76.6% of consumption · Poorest 20% are responsible for 1.5% of consumption · Part of the reason for this gap is Globalization and the income gap it creates between 1st and 3rd world countries - Effects of consumerism - Negative · Planned obsolescence, a practice in which products are made with the goal to break or make them unusable after a period of time, is becoming more and more popular among manufacturers and accepted by the masses. · The amount of trash a household throws out is accelerating at an alarming speed because of the easy and cheap access to new products and planned obsolescence. · Trash is often not properly disposed and ends up littering the environment and even if it is it can end up in 3rd world countries where it is disassembled by the inhabitants for scrap metal in a laborious and harmful process. · Production is shifted towards 3rd world countries, where wages are lower and safety standards are non-existent, to be able to offer them cheaper to 1st world countries. · Many of the planets resources are being used to fuel consumerism · More advertisement since manufacturers need to stand out in the masses of products. - Positive · Higher growth rate of the economy · More diversity in goods · More jobs to match the massive production demands - What can we do · Use products as long as possible before replacing them · Only buy products you really need instead of giving in to the newest trend · Donate things you don’t need instead of throwing them away · Distance yourself from as much advertising as possible · Recycle your trash