Be Happier by Consuming Less Essay

Consumerist is a mixer and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and work in ever greater amounts. In the Ameri evoke consumption, concourse do not k this instant how much is enough, do we re totallyy need all we defile? Or we just buy it because everyone else has it? Does it make us whatsoever happier? In the article The New Politics of Consumption Why Ameri flocks involve So Much More That They Need Juliet Schor shares with us her forecast of see close American Consumption.In Schors article says, The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 long metre ago (411). Also that The competitive consumption, the theme that returning is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to discover up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reservoir group (412). in the long run she believes that pathetic income children are more(prenominal)(prenominal) likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home (413). Our individualal consumer choices puddle ecological, social, and eldritch consequences.Much of what we purchase is not essential for our survival or purge basic human comfort but is based on impulse, a momentary desire, and there is a hidden price that we, and future generations leave behind gondolary for it too. The American economys ultimate purpose is to turn more consumer goods, not better health care, education, housing, transportation, but to provide more stuff to consumers. First, in Schors article she says, The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago (411).Nowadays sight have to work longer hours than 25 year ago, to be able to pay all their desires. Having more and newer things individually year has become not just fewthing we want but something we need. The opinion of more, ever increasing wealth has become the center of our identity, and this looks like an addiction. For example, my aunty Maria works 5 days a week to be able to pay all her bills and sometimes does overtime. She might have a lot of new and cool things, but she doesnt even have time to enjoy all these things because she has to be on the job(p)(a) just to pay all she has.My aunt has a salary of $9. 25 per hour and acquire a check of $740 biweekly which she have to use to pay her car $200, plus her phone $85, personal stuff $150, and the list keep going. I have worked 40 hours a week, going to classes full-time with little satisfaction. Without working that long, I am slight stressed, and I prefer to check up on how to degenerate less(prenominal) money, than spending more, and bide stressed all the time. People should concentrate more responsibility for themselves and their families and think outside of the box when it comes to life.Working less hours and buy fewer products is a good way to start. Also, Schor says, The competitive consump tion, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group (412). People try to be in the equivalent aim that everyone else if they see that somebody bought something, they will try to have that, just because that person has it. An example is the iPhones people are obsessed with them.The first iPhone was the 3G, then 3GS, 4, 4S, and the 5 that is the last one that just came out. All of these iPhones do almost the same functions they just changed the size, and some other little things. People spend a lot of money buying the iPhones the prices are between $300 and $500. The point is that people want to keep up with the newest things, just because other people will have it. For example, my cousin Heysus who is 23 years old, have been buying all the iPhones, because all his friends have them, and whenever came a new iPhone, he staged i t immediately to keep up with what his friends have.Another point is that people with less income, tend to watch more TV, in Schors article says, Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home (413). Television and marketing are a big influence of how people spend their money. We watched an example of it in the picture show of Super-Size Me, of how the companies spend a lot of their money on marketing, because they know that people is going to buy their products. We need to make people conscious about the problem that we all have as a society.Without our consumer impulse to buy the newest, coolest things on the market, there would be no market. People should think more about what they buy, and should not do unnecessary purchases I think that some people keep worrying more about what they can buy, and how they can have better and newest things instead of be worrying about how they can live happier, and less stressed. An individual does no t necessarily have to live as a rich person to be happy. The thought of shorter hours working is a wealth of opportunity and adventure that no Disneyland or Las Vegas holiday can offer.It is actually stress-free and can help us to have time to more valuable parts of our life, like having more time to spend with our family and friends. Finally, as a student that works and studies at the same time, I have to be a smart consumer. I ask myself what I need and what I really dont. Why do I need a car? Is it necessary to have a laptop when we have a library full of computers? We all need to learn that how to spend our money in a better way, and know that we do not need to have the newest and coolest things that the market offer us to be happy.