Consumerism

Ever heard of the saying “Keeping up with the Joneses”? The Joneses are a reference to the way a person or a household may live their lives. This life consists of doing something in order to show that they have as much money as other people, rather than because they really want to do it. Many people were holding down three jobs just to keep up with the Joneses. Crazy right? Well, that’s the type of society we live in today. We must have the nice cars, a three story house, nice clothes, and nice shoes just for a feeling within. However, do we notice the rigorous amounts of money and time we spend on making these things happen? The answer is no. But, let’s take a second to think? How do we know about these luxurious things we can have? Do we pick up the local newspaper and search? Do we pick up the phone and ask the operator? No, we have been introduced to what the world knows it as, advertising.

The Effects of Advertisements

Advertising is all around us. When we turn on the television, more than likely there is a commercial playing, potentially trying to sale you something. These commercials may be so interesting that by the time the advertisement is over, you are running to check your bank account to see if you can afford it. But why? Why do we take our hard earned money and use it to buy things that will only give us satisfaction for the moment? But after a while, the product is not beneficial anymore and we are off to buy new things that can replace them. Waste of money right? The video The Ad and the Ego, points out some valid issues that we are faced amongst today that we may not have even acknowledged. First, let’s discuss the issue of advertisements. Although advertisements makes it sound good that a product is only $19.99, but do we really know what we are buying? Advertisements whether it is in the form of television commercials, postings on social media, or even text messages, are all ways that has pushed those in society to live a life like the “Joneses”. The commercials that we see today don’t really serve a purpose unless we really need it. Imagine sitting at home cooking a full course meal and you have to chop up onions for your spaghetti. You don’t feel like getting out the knife you purchased offline to cut them up so you just think “Wow, I need an electrical chopper.” Well, just so happens you have a television close by and what do you see? An advertisement for chopping up vegetables. What’s your first thought? “I must have this”, “It will solve my problems”, but in reality, it won’t. You still have that same knife you purchased a few months ago that you saw on an ad in the drawer and you want to buy something else. Crazy how advertisements can get you right? This is not pushing towards a simple life. A simple life would consist of saving that money for something more beneficial and using the knife you have in the drawer.

Although advertisements push sales, it makes people spend unnecessary money that they could’ve saved for something else. The perception of advertisements not only makes you spend money, but it also generates emotional feelings. Who would’ve thought that watching a video about skin care can make someone go and change their whole appearance? Advertising can really diminish the confidence of a person. Ever look at a commercial and the first heard is “Want to change this?” That is the first sign of bad advertisement. Yes, there are some people who want to make changes to themselves, but when it takes them to a place of doubt or anxiety, that’s when it become unhealthy. Advertisements in today’s society paint the picture of living a flawless life. But in reality, who lives a flawless life? They present them as a pathway to salvation. For example, we’ve all seen commercials where they are offering wrinkle-free cream. In the minute that they do have, advertisers show of the product, tells what it does for you, and then offers a deal. In that one minute, consumers are sold. When consumers can get a brief description, a picture, and a good price, it’s like we’ve sold our souls over. However, do we actually sit and think about what they are really presenting? An older person who may feel like they aren’t as attractive may go out and buy this crème and apply it just to look good. However, this does raise a red flag. After a while, people are going to think that they need this product in order to be noticed. But what it is doing is tearing down the self-esteem of an individual.

Do we also take a look at what the advertisements are presenting? By looking and hearing, certain products being advertised don’t sound as appealing or safe to purchase. For example, there are commercials on television advertising pills for major headaches. However, along with describing the product, they begin to mention horrible side effects. Who wants to pay for a product that can lead them into being in the hospital? No one. This pushes people in society away from living a simple life because again, we are so amazed by a one minute advertisement video that we are spending our last dollars just to have the products in our hands. Lastly, advertisements bring upon self-identity issues. Self-image is the number way to convince someone to purchase a product. As previously discussed, most people who aren’t satisfied with themselves go out and spend money to keep up with an image? But what is the image? Image can either hurt you or help you. For example, there are people in this world who aren’t satisfied with their skin color. They go to doctors, consultants, dermatologists, etc. just to change the complexion of their skin. However, is this simple living? Taking your hard earned money to change your look? The answer is no. In my opinion, advertisements are what’s killing people. This may sound harsh, but think about it. People go under the knife on multiple occasions, however, there are people who don’t make it after surgery and the mortality ends up being their fate. This is not the pathway to simple living nor is it helping those who may be dealing with identity crisis. It is very important that we take a look at the ads we come across and really ask ourselves, “Is it really worth it?” If you have to think more than five seconds, then the answer should be no.

Living in Denial

Most individuals will deny the fact that they spend a lot of money. On the other hand, you have individuals who are aware of the money that they spend, but feel as though it needs to be spent. However, what most people fail to realize is that it’s not about spending the money, it’s how you go about spending the money. No, there is no way to tell someone how to spend their money, but there is a way it can be spent without being extravagant. Simple, just budget. Yes, most people have a hard time with budgeting, but there are different methods of budgeting that can allow you to get the things you won’t without spending a lot of money. For example, everyone wants to go out of the country sometime in their life. No, this is not considered “extravagant”, but it is expensive. In order to go on a successful trip, you have to be able to pay for it. Also, you have to be able to still survive. In today’s society, people get caught up in trying to buy nice things to where they don’t see the amount of debt they are getting in. If budgets were set in place, things like trips out of the country or that new iPhone you’ve been checking out can be purchased at your own expense. No one has to be restricted to the amounts of money they spend, but finding strategic ways to save and live a simple life can be beneficial in the future.

The Overspent American discusses the issue of spending money for the kids. Yes, kids are going to want everything that is appealing to them. However, society fails to realize the debt they begin to put themselves into just to satisfy the kids. The other issue that correlates to satisfying the kids is that you don’t want the kids to be criticized. We are very aware of the issues of bullying in today’s society. Most kids aren’t able to express themselves based off of the clothes that they wear. So, what do parents do? They cater to the feelings of their children and make sure their children has as others do. No, there is no set way to dress a child, but spending large amounts of money to make sure this happens can be over board. On the other hand, there are parents who are willingly buying their kids whatever they desire. Nothing is wrong with this, but there is no lesson being taught to the child. We want to promote living a nice, yet simple life. Kids may not be able to comprehend the concept of saving money, but if they can see a prominent person in their lives practicing those habits, more than likely they will pick up on them also.

Consumerism is what drives society today. What we wear, what we eat, what kind of phone we have, is all based off of consumerism. It allows us to spend our earnings on things that we as humans may need or desire. However, it is up to individuals to make the choice of buying, but yet practicing ways to live a simpler life. Consumerism can be viewed as an expression of freedom. It’s our money, why not spend it? Why not go out and buy the things you desire? It’s not about the things we buy, it’s the damage that is causing to not save and live a simple life. No, there is no physical damage, but it can become and emotionally and mentally damaging. Don’t try to live like the Joneses. Don’t be that overspent American. People in society should be able to look back in the future and see the fruits of their labor and still maintain a simple life. It’s simple, just have to be willing to make the sacrifice and not let outside sources such as advertisements get in the way of providing a better life for yourself.