Category: Materialism

Materialism as an Essential Problem of Modern American Society

Materialism has become part of human nature. It has been spread throughout history and evolved into an issue that will never cease to exist. However, this is no new discovery, materialism is not a new thing. It is displayed all over the media, in magazines, and in commercials. From the dawn of time, there has been an innate competition between human beings. Whether we admit to it or not, we all have the urge to be better than those around us. Consequently, it is not just technology that people compete with. Merchandise like clothes and houses and even home appliances are just a few more. It all comes down to the fact that people are too materialistic for their own good. As an American teenager, it is fairly easy for me to say that materialism and consumption play a large roll in my own cosmology. I frequently go shopping with friends and check out the latest fashion trends and I-Phones. In my defense, when you reside in a first world country with lavish shopping malls everywhere and billboards covered in clothing models, food, and things to buy, these become the things that you aim for. Brian Swimme Stated in his writing ‘How Do Our Kids Get So Caught Up in Consumerism’, “Before a child enters first grade science class, and before entering in any real way into our religious ceremonies, a child will have soaked in 30,000 advertisements”. That child was me. I have been trained from a child to want the most popular object at the time because it was cool and would allow me fit in with other children my age. I later realized that this was not the way to live, because the bible says that idolatry is a sin. Faith is very prevalent in my life and author Paul Tillich speaks very highly of it in his piece ‘What Faith Is’. He states, “Man, like every living being, is concerned about many things, above all about those which condition his very existence, such as food and shelter”. While it is okay to own material objects such as a cell phone, it becomes an issue when people begin to buy everything that they see impulsively.

A person from any other country may say that we are very wasteful individuals because we are not focused on the ultimate concern, they are one hundred percent correct. I am aware that in many other countries material possessions are of no importance. Instead, they focus on the self and faith. However, that does not weigh very much on my conscious of what I believe is sacred and meaningful. I have a strong belief in God and that primarily comes from my family and the way that I was raised. Tillich states, “If a national group makes the life and growth of the nation, its ultimate concern, it demands that all other concerns, economic well-being, health and life, family, aesthetic and cognitive truth, justice and humanity be sacrificed”. To me that seems excessive. To sacrifice all of that to have faith as an ultimate concern is not worth it. In other countries that may be the case but I am not that concerned with the belief systems and values of others to follow that particular route that Tillich describes.

As the anchor of society, materialism along with consumer goods have gained a significance that infringes upon the ultimate concern that should actually be focused on. Having given the assumption that consuming goods and owning possessions will make an individual happy, well-established, connected member of society has only made larger issues, that will never cease to end. With Americans largely deriving their sense of personal values, meaning and significance from obtaining material possessions, all of the 21st century is inundated.

The Problem of the Materialistic Nature of American Society

As time goes by the American dream is becoming exceedingly materialistic. I believe that the Americans have always been materialistic to a greater or lesser extent, but I’m very sure when I say, that the world has never been as materialistic as these recent years. If we take a look back in time people aspired of having a job that paid well, so they could live in a house in the suburbs and own one or two nice cars. That would be more than enough and more than satisfying. Today everything is different. Not that we don’t longer aspire these things. We just aspire so much more, that it sometimes can get terrifying what or who we have become.

Even though a lot of people are confident that materialism never could have any bad effects on Americans and American society, they are far from right. It doesn’t surprise me if lots of people trust the position that materialism can’t hurt anyone or anything, because only few people familiarize themselves with it and reflects on this topic. It’s completely okay if you haven’t done this yet, but I hope you will begin to do it while reading this.

I’ll bet that you have heard that the good life is obtainable through the ‘goods life’. It won’t surprise me if you sit and recognize to this right now. Because who wouldn’t? We have all been exposed to this opinion through consumer messages such as TV shows, social media, in public bathrooms or at the train station. Telling us to spend lots of money on their products, that should make us a better person thus a happier person overall. In fact, billion dollars are spent every year on consumer messages in America. Quite overwhelming! It might seem ridiculous to you but this commercialization has over time reached deeper and formed its way into people’s minds.

But lots of researches absolutely show, that the more the people value materialistic values and goals, the lower happiness and satisfaction the person will achieve. Now that was not what the consumer message promised us, was it? These researches also show that depression, anxiety and substance abuse actually tend to be much higher among people who only value materialistic wealth. Do you think this could have an impact on other people’s wellbeing? The answer is yes. Strong materialistic values actually influence our social relationships and therefore other people’s wellbeing.

Studies also show that materialistic values and social values function like a tilt. When materialistic values go up, pro social values most of the times tend to go down. This also explains why people tend to act less emphatic and generous when they only got money on their mind.

Materialism also affects the American society. This can also be compared with a tilt. As material values go up, the concern for the nature tends to go down. Researches sadly show those people are less likely to be a part of ecologically beneficial activities such as recycling and reusing things.

But what makes people to focus on materialistic values? Studies show that people who feel insecure about themselves tend to focus more on materialistic values. Instead of spending time with the persons they love, a lot of people tend to buy something materialistic instead, for example a new bag to blow the self-esteem.

A quote I want to include is as follows:

“Some people are so poor, all they have is money”, – Bob Marley.

The quote says that rich and poor shouldn’t be measured in the terms of money. A person may have lots of money and therefore also lots of material goods such as a big house, expensive cars, designer bags and so on, but if the person doesn’t have intrinsic values such as growing as a person and be close to the ones you love for example your family, then his/her money is of no use at all. In some point anybody can be rich in money but the best kind of rich you can be, is rich in love, happiness and persons that actually care about you.

The studies show the materialistic values tend to go down when the intrinsic values go up. These intrinsic values promote not only personal and social wellbeing, which will be positive for Americans but also ecological wellbeing, which will be positive for American society.

Commercialism and consumerism have gotten a grip on us and it’s almost inescapable. But even though there are powerful forces that push material values on us, there is after all something we can do about it to reverse this ‘trend’. Some ways are, for example, to use ad blocker to hide ads on the Internet and to mute when commercials play on TV. But more important we need to get active in this debate and remove advertising from public spaces such as the train stations. So, people aren’t exposed to material messages as often as they are today. Instead, there should be a greater focus on intrinsic values. But changing our own lifestyle isn’t enough. We need to advocate for policies that promote these intrinsic values.

This overall means that we can break the hold by making changes in our personal lives while at the same time working for broader social changes.

So, what do you want to be rich in? You decide.

An Essay of the Negative Effects of Materialism

According to Srikant Manchiraju and Zlatan Krizan, materialism can be defined as “the importance an individual attaches to worldly possessions” (Manchiraju and Krizan, 90). A materialistic individual tends to believe that their earthly possessions and physical comfort are more important than their spiritual values. Certain belongings that a person with a materialistic viewpoint could put emphasis on include how nice their house is, what kind of car they drive, which type of cell phone they own, and how nice or expensive their clothes are. While these items might make a person happy at first, it will not last for very long. Eventually, they will get bored and strive to have more. Overall, materialism is bad for a person’s emotional well-being. Materialism can negatively affect a person’s relationship, increase their chances of having depression and anxiety, and make a person less satisfied with themselves.

A materialistic viewpoint on life can have a negative effect on a person’s relationship. Money has been shown to play a key factor in marital conflicts. A recent study by Dr. Jason Carroll, a professor at Brigham Young University, shows that materialistic couples are unhappier and tend to have more arguments than other couples. In this study, researchers interviewed one thousand and seven hundred couples across the United States and asked each of them about their relationship. Researchers also asked these couples how attached they were to money and how they felt about acquiring lots of material objects. In one in five couples, both sides admitted to value prioritizing wealth. However, these couples also said that money was their main source of conflict. In addition to this, couples that admitted to having a strong love for money also scored ten to fifteen percent worse on ‘relationship stability’ than those who did not care about money. Couples, where both spouses valued money the same, reported having the most problems in their relationship. On the other hand, couples who ranked low on the materialistic scale were reported to be better off. Finally, in terms of harm suffered as a result of materialism, couples fell in-between these two groups when one spouse was materialistic, but the other was not. Marital problems from materialism were at their worst when each spouse agreed that money possesses high value. According to Jason Carroll, this is because “materialistic people may spend more time looking for new things rather than nurturing their relationships” (Jaslow, 1). These individuals were less responsive to their partner and less focused on their relationship. Materialistic spouses often seek happiness in their possessions and not in people. This means that will put less time, effort, and energy into making sure their marriage is a success. Materialistic couples also reported having more financial issues than other couples because they are unsure about how to save their money.

Besides having a negative effect on a person’s relationship, a materialistic viewpoint can also increase a person’s chances of becoming depressed. In a recent study from Baylor University, which was published in ‘Personality and Individual Differences’, researchers saw that people who were more materialistic than others were more likely to be depressed. Researchers that conducted the study interviewed two hundred and forty-six undergraduate students who were majoring in marketing. Researchers measured each individual’s level of materialism, need satisfaction, and overall life satisfaction. The study revealed that “individuals who scored the most materialistic were also the least grateful, the least satisfied, and the most depressed” (Chen, 1). This is because these individuals were more self-centered. They were more focused on physical rewards and helping themselves, instead of spending more time and energy on helping their peers. Individuals with a high score in materialism were also more concerned with what they do not have, such as new and expensive items, rather than focusing on what they already have, such as a family and a job. Materialists will never feel satisfied with their possessions because their current possessions will eventually become a baseline for new and improved items. Material possessions will never leave a person feeling truly happy. A new item will only make a person happy for a moment, but eventually, they will get bored with it and strive for more. A new possession will only keep a person happy until they start feeling covetous and depressed again.

In addition to being depressed, people with high materialistic values are also known to have elevated levels of anxiety. According to a recent study by Galen V. Bodenhausen, Monika A. Bauer, James E.B. Wilkie, and Jung K. Kim, those who place a higher value on wealth and status tend to be more depressed, anxious, and less sociable than those who do not place a high value on wealth and status. Galen V. Bodenhausen says they found that “irrespective of personality, in situations that activate a consumer mindset, people show the same sorts of problematic patterns in wellbeing, including negative affect and social disengagement” (Bodenhausen, 1). Bodenhausen, Bauer, Wilkie, and Kim conducted a series of experiments on university students. In two out of four of these experiments, the students were exposed to images of luxury good or words that put them into a materialistic mindset. After the experiments, students filled out questionnaires. The students that looked at the pictures of luxury goods such as jewelry, electronics, and cars were rated higher in anxiety and depression. The individuals who were rated higher in anxiety and depression also found themselves less interested in social events such as parties and more interested in solitary pursuits than their peers who scored lower. On the other hand, those who ranked high in materialism from exposure to words displayed more competitiveness and had little to no desire in dedicating their time to pro-social ventures such as working for a good cause.

Besides having a negative effect on a person’s relationship and increasing their chance of having depression and anxiety, a materialistic viewpoint can also make a person dissatisfied with their lives. Materialism has three key aspects: centrality, happiness, and success. Centrality is when an individual views their earthly possessions as being the center of their life. Happiness is when an individual views their personal possessions as the main source for being satisfied with their lives. Success is when an individual uses their possessions as a marker for their success in life. Numerous studies have shown that materialists are generally less satisfied with their lives. People that score high in materialism are not only dissatisfied with their standards of living, but they are also dissatisfied with the amount of fun in their lives and their relationships with their friends. Materialism is also closely correlated to negative aspects of well-being, such as depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem. Multiple studies by Kasser and Ryan have found that people with higher materialistic value face fewer positive emotions, and greater levels of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse than their non-materialistic peers. According to Jo-Ann Tsang, Thomas P. Carpenter, James A. Roberts, Michael B. Frisch, and Robert D. Carlisle, “Gap theory posits that materialists have unrealistically high expectations for the satisfaction that material goods will bring them” (J.-A. Tsang et al., 63). Before buying an item, materialistic individuals will have higher expectation and anticipation than their non-materialistic counterparts. However, these new material possessions are never able to meet their high expectations or sustain their emotions. Overall, this will decrease the amount of a materialistic individual’s positive emotion. Because of this, a materialist will continue to make more purchases, which will just result in a greater level of dissatisfaction.

In conclusion, materialism has negative effects on individuals in societies. Materialism has been shown to ruin people’s relationships, increase a person’s depression and anxiety levels, and make a person less satisfied with their lives as a whole. Individuals with high materialistic values will turn to their possessions to find happiness, instead of turning to other people. As a result, they will end up ignoring their significant others and focusing more on other pursuits. Materialism has also been known to heighten levels of anxiety and depression in people. Materialism will never leave a person feeling truly happy because eventually they will get bored with their newfound possessions and will find themselves wanting more. Individuals with a high materialistic outlook will also find themselves being less interested in social events. Last but not least, materialism can make a person less satisfied with their lives. Materialists always have high expectations and anticipation when making a purchase. However, the item will never live up to their expectations, so they will end up making more purchases never being satisfied.

Materialism as a Trend in Modern Society: Persuasive Essay

Have you ever followed a trend? Are you a materialistic person? Do you use materials and objects, such as money, phones, car, and luxurious items to receive happiness? Everyone at one point in their lives would have desired to want something or wanted to be like the people around them. For example, to feel better, to look better, to convey a status symbol whether it may be TikTok, AirPods, or property. Materialism is when a person is so assigned to owning material belongings, and the obsession with that makes them fulfill life. Our desires become so infinite that we start to forget and recognize what truly is important to us. Materialism has been around for many years. In fact, it’s always been in everyone… everyone has always wanted something from life specifically objects. For example, Hawkins from ‘Guest of the Nation’ believes that “materialism is essentially religious in nature”. This story shows us that the attachment of materials isn’t just a new development, but has always been there.

Materialism has become a trend in our society. Our current society has a constantly growing fascination for earning more money and owning more material goods, which is currently in trend. We are now materially better off than how we were before. For instance, looking over the past few years the high consumption of phones, TikTok, laptops, and property. In association with that, everyone would think we should be happier today than ever. But studies have shown that there is no direct correlation between income and happiness. We are not recognizing the value of our loved ones in comparison to our desires. Baylor University confirms that smartphones can actually damage relationships. Relationships with your loved ones your families, who care for you and are always there no matter what. Our desires are becoming more part of our lives than people, which can lead to a bland life because how would life be without your roots, your parents, and your family? The desires that come from others, or to want something so badly that you forget about your true happiness ‘family’. At the end of the day, I can guarantee you that materials aren’t going to be there forever.

For example, here’s, where I would like to share my own story, I was once in the supermarket getting all the groceries, and a mother asked his little boy: “How was your day today what did you do today?”. And the boy replied: “Nothing mum, I watched videos on TikTok, and my friends did too”. Keeping in the mind at this point in time the little boy isn’t talking to his mother, but on his phone, currently watching videos on TikTok, with his AirPods on. This made me realize how I sometimes ignore my own parents for objects when they’re simply just asking about ours. Destroy, destruction, defeat… these three words describe what his future might be like. At the moment the little boy has most of his attention on his phone an object that can be destroyed anytime. Destruction of a mother and son’s relationship. Defeat the loss of his own life, because when he grows older, he’ll definitely do anything to accomplish his materialistic desires.

People’s materialistic desires are becoming so huge that sometimes our whole life becomes dependent on them. We are spending most of our time earning more money or trying to figure out a way to accomplish our desire. Take, for instance, buying a luxurious house or a lavishing car. No one’s going to wish for it, and they’ll get it. In order to accomplish it, we have to earn money or win the lotto. At this time, we forget that most of our happiness doesn’t revolve around materials, but around relationships. Many studies have shown that personal relationships have one of the largest impacts on overall happiness, as well as longevity. The only way to live life to the fullest is with loved ones, not with materials. Our loved ones are the only way to complete everyone’s lives through creating memories, and Macquarie University confirms this. Living every moment in happiness rather than concentrating on your phone or running after wealth. Just think, have you gained anything from materialistic desires? Do they have feelings? Do they bring happiness or sadness? Are they there in every step of your life to support and love you? The answer might be ‘no’ because objects can’t speak, support, love, or even have feelings. They are only in our lives for a very short time – it’s not going to be there forever. Family is the one that gives everyone a reason to live and gives us purpose in life. Materials can never ever be comparable to people because family and friends are worth so much more than objects and money. We should always know the value of people in our lives and treat them accordingly because they are an important piece in everyone’s lives.

Life is short… So, we should make the most of it while we’re here. Spending most of our time with our loved ones can ensure our happiness. Life will be better and lived to the fullest when we spend most of our time with them rather than going after money and wealth. A positive environment that will alleviate all stresses and empower us to do more in life. We need to understand the differences between our materialistic desires and people. We need to appreciate people and recognize what truly is important in our lives. We should cherish every person in our lives and prioritize our life accordingly. We all as a society need to change the way we display ourselves and don’t perform or desire things to feel better, to look better, or to convey a status symbol.