What is consumerism?
Consumerism is an ideology of Western culture that whirls around economic and social structures where consumers are motivated or manipulated to buy anything, even if they don’t really need it. Lifestyle obsession often drives such consumer desire instead of necessity, making them feel happy and satisfied by being in possession of the material. Moreover, A consumerist movement is a term used to describe the process of boosting a country's economic growth through increased consumer spending. This happens when businesses produce new products frequently and use persuasive advertising to create a demand for them. Consumers are then tempted to buy these products without much thought, resulting in more profits for the brands.
Consumerism Explained
Consumerism is an economic idea that more buying and spending by people is good for economic growth and happiness. Some economists think consumerism strengthens the economy by increasing demand and production. Others think consumerism harms society and the environment because it creates waste, pollution, and greed. Consumerism can also mean a culture of buying things that are not really needed, especially to show off one's wealth or status. This was called "conspicuous consumption" by Thorstein Veblen, a 19th-century economist and sociologist.
Consumerism can be understood in two different ways: as an economic policy promoting consumer spending to boost the economy or as a social phenomenon involving excessive materialism and consumption of goods and services. In the political or social sense, consumerism also involves the efforts of private and public organizations to protect the rights and interests of consumers by improving the quality and safety of consumer goods, changing the production methods to reduce negative impacts on human health or the environment, or eliminating unfair or harmful business practices such as false advertising.
According to some economists, consumerism has brought significant societal benefits, such as economic growth and increased individual wealth and income. However, consumerism has also created many serious problems, some of which are related to the psychological and behavioral aspects of consumerism. These problems include the loss of traditional cultures and values; the decline of altruism and community; the damage to the environment caused by pollution, waste, and resource depletion; and the negative psychological effects such as stress, anxiety, insecurity, and depression among many people who pursue consumerist goals. Some psychologists and other social scientists have also argued that consumerism results from the psychological manipulation of consumers by powerful corporate advertising and marketing campaigns