Problem
Consumerism
Experimental visualization of narrower problems
Other Names:
Self-indulgent consumerismOveremphasis on the consumer role
Diverted consumer spending
Nature:
In wealthier countries, replacement purchases for clothes, entertainment products, automobiles and home-furnishings are made with a frequency that is not justified by the wear of these products. It is the profligacy of a self-indulgent consumerist ethic that is responsible for the excessively high retail turnover. Although it may be argued that this creates jobs, it nevertheless depletes resources, and may also indicate an imbalance of wealth in a society where there are people starving or being denied essential social services, while at the same time department stores are registering record sales. This ethic leads to self-indulgence and a cheapening of human values.
The average individual is most often addressed not as a citizen, a worker, a thinker, or any of his other roles, but as a consumer. This eventually becomes the role in which the individual sees himself most clearly. This image of being a consumer limits the ability to relate to others in appreciation, friendship or even, finally, mutual respect.
Broader Problems:
MaterialismAbuse of economic powerBehavioural deteriorationProliferation of commercialismExcessive consumption of resources in industrialized countriesDominance of economic motives Narrower Problems:
Compulsive spendersPandering to the youth marketInflated material expectationsCounterproductive eco-labellingOver-emphasis on physical beautyUnnecessary personal consumptionProliferation of consumer productsFailure of market-led economic recoveryExcessive demand for goods in capitalist systems Related Problems:
Resource consumption exacerbated by price distortions Aggravates:
Return of purchasesHomogenization of culturesUncontrolled growth of debtUnethical consumption practicesStatic and unrelated social roles Reduced By:
Fear of spendingAnti-consumerism
Subject(s):
Amenities → ConsumersCommerce → Finance
Individuation → Individuation
Policy-making → Policy
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Date of last update
20.05.2019 – 15:21 CEST