Consumeris

The
spend,
spend,
spend
lifestyle

2014/2015
EPM-CELP

To: Izabel Santos

Index
- Introduction

______________________________________________________ 3
- Historic Context ___________________________________________________ 4
- Marketing and Consumerism __________________________________________ 5
Mariana Marques, no. 17, 11 A1
Vicxita Mahendralal, no. 25, 11 A1
12/11/14

- Consequences of consumerism ________________________________________ 6

- Responsible consume _______________________________________________ 7
- Consumer Rights ___________________________________________________ 8
- Consumerism in teens _______________________________________________ 9
- Consumerism statistics ______________________________________________10
- Conclusion _______________________________________________________ 11
- Sources __________________________________________________________11

Introduction
In this assignment we will approach the problem of consumerism.
And what is consumerism? It can be defined as the act of consuming products in an
exagerated way. Consumerists acquire products without need. Consumerism is typical of
capitalist societies and is prepeld by advertising campaigns especially in the media. When
we turn we are the target of endless marketing and promotion. Our world has become a
vortex of excessive buying and materialism.

Shopaholic
The control of media in
consumerism
In some cases comsuption can become an addiction in which the consumer can only

get pleasure from buying things. Most of the times a professional treatment is required to
keep things from getting out of hand.
Unless we keep materialism undercontrol, there is no telling how long it will be
before our spending habbits spiral out of control.
Superfluous daily spending has become customary in our society, and when the
behaviour is repeated every day, the spending begins to be a problem.

Historic
context

The world was never the same after the industrial revolution. Industrialization has streamlined the

Representation of the
industrial revolution

With the technological evolution it is possible to make electronic transactions.

Money is becoming invisible, so the future generations think it will always be there.
Consuption is a satisfaction, because it is the fulfillment of a need. These needs are
increasingly coming from the evolution of civilazations.
Nowdays, capitalists societies associates consumption to superiority.

The modern

The evolution of
men

Marketin
g and
Consumerism is induced by marketing. Markting,
when well done, can reach the inner weakness of
Consumer
ism

Marketing and
sales people use popular culture to leverege themselves. They sell a product
Bussines

while telling a story: buy and be happy. Our consumer culture uses the collective forces of
media conglomerates and the market research giants to figure out the consumers desires.
We are exposed to products by images, stories, songs, information, news and entertainment
consumer culture reach.
Consumer cultures clout Consumers must be convinced to buy the products and
consumerism is not morally condemmed as greed because its a critically important feature
of global capitalism.
Consumer cultures strategys - In a highly competetive marketplace consumers have
developed immunity against weak marketing. Theres always a need to innovate.
The five commandments of consumerism:
5

1)

Worship the market over all things. Everything is sold or exchanged: objects,

2)
3)

public oppinion, influences.

Do not desecrate the currency, destabilizing it.
Do not sin against globalization. Thanks to technologies, the world has become

4)
5)

a small village.
Convert state and public goods in favor of privatization.
Folow the sacred cult of object comsuption.

Consequences of consumerism

Consumerism depletes natural resources especially raw materials and energy. We

are heading towards an environmental collapse. Climate changes prove that the excess of
idustrialization damages the world we live in.
Consumers suffer alienation, financial damages, degradation of social relations and
oneomania (shopaholism).
Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. Like
most other capitalist forms consumerism is concerned about short term profits without
consideration for the future effects of bad wealth distribuction and overconsume.
As more and more money is being poured into the eletronics field, people are being
replaced by machines.

Our ecological

Factor
y

Responsible consume
This

compulsion to shop leeds people to despise their values and their financial situation. Our
need for the best is creating a world where items are over priced and luxuries perceived as
necessities. We must change our perspective of the words essential and important if we
want to fix this problem. The consumer has the power to dictate the level of consumerism
in society.
Responsible consumption is a
democratic citizens' movement. It influences
the behaviour of manufacturers, distributors
and retailers, and encourages decision
makers to adopt policies that protect the
environment and the rights of citizens.
Shopping is a means to an end, not
an end in itself. It is important to first ask
yourself, is this purchase really necessary? If

Responsible
consume ad

it can't be avoided, than opt for products and

services that have less of an environmental
impact and that show social responsibility.
Make sure to choose products and services
with fewer adverse environmental and social
effects.

Thinking green
ad

Consumer
Rights

Responsible consume
ad

Over time, the

some consumer

consumer movement has developed

rights.
Satisfaction of basic needs - to have

access to

basic, essential goods and services like

food, clothing, education, water and sanitation.

Safety - to be protected against products.
Be informed - to be given the facts needed to be protected against misleading

advertising.
Choose - to select products with quality.
Be heard - to have consumer interests represented in the development of products

and services.
Redress - to receive compensation for misrepresentation or shoddy goods.
Consumer education to acquire knowledge and skills needed about goods and

services.
Healthy environment - to live and work in an healthy environment without
pollution.

Consumerism in teens
Consumer rights ads

Consumerism is powerful and has affected adolescent reality. Many teens say that
their identity and fullfilment comes from comsuption and material accumulation. The
feverish lifestyle undermines adolescent identity formation and sabotages their spiritual
growth. Competition is everywhere and everything is important. Almost every teen lacks
self confidence at some point and struggles to fit somewhere. Life for many teens becomes
superficial.They want all those things that everyone in the media is talking about so they
became dependent ond the consumistic lifestyle.

The money that teenagers have

becomes less valuable because it was no
attained by work. For most teens money is
something to spend today and not to save
tomorow because they often reverse to their
childlike impulses. Teens spending is about
popularity and not quality. With the
electronic transactions money is becoming
invisible to future generations. This makes
them believe the money will always be there.

Teens shopping

How can we avoid consumerism in

teens?
9

- Give them exposure to the rest of the world so they can change their spending habbits by
being exposed to poverty in third world countrys and their own country.
- Reinforce the relationship between money and work encouraging teens to work for their
money or do volunteer work.
- Establish some spending guidelines, to have specific limitations, trying not to control
specific purchases.
- Have some financial transparency with teens.
- Talk positivly about the oportunity to give.

third of

after

Consumer
ism
Statistic
s
Population

Others

Americans

Americans make up only 5% of worlds

population, however they are responsible for a
global consuption. On average, 1 American
consumes as much energy as 2 Japaneses, 6
Mexicans, 13 Chineses, 31 Indians, 28
Bangladeshis, 307 Tanzanians or 307 Ethiopians.
Americans are continuing to spend more year
year.

Energy wasted

Americans

Others

10

Conclusio
n

Spending habits of the average

In this assignment

we conclude that society is

deeply affected by

consumerism and the future

generations will not be

recognized as people but as

machines, because of the

evolution of technology. The

thechnologiess development allied with the consumerism will bring several negative
consequences to our planet, and its very bad because we want the future generation be
sactisfied with the world that we leave them.
To realize that we need to avoid consumerism, specially in teens and children, is to
give the opportunity of life to the future generations.

11

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection.
http://www.teenink.com/opinion/pop_culture_trends/article/210810/ATTENTION-AllShopaholics/.
http://www.livescience.com/2338-truth-shopaholics.html.
http://www.teenink.com/opinion/all/article/26735/Is-Consumerism-Contagious/.
http://moneyhelpforchristians.com/teens-and-money-helping-teens-spending-andconsumerism/.
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~waldr20m/clas.
http://www.teenink.com/opinion/current_events_politics/article/161564/ConsumingConsumerism/.

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