Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !

Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the United States of America

Rinrada Chaovalit

Tanyaton Panyadilok

World History 10, section 1008

Advisor Mister Daniel Simonds

June 20, 2016

 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !2

Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the United States of America?

Abstract

This research aims to discuss about consumerism that gives benefits as well as creates
problems in the United States of America. The research instruments were two data collections
including reviewing literatures and interviews. The data was analysed by content analysis and
presented by description. The research findings found that consumerism give benefits to the eco-
nomic cycle since it can make money flow in the society rebounded from economic recession.
Notwithstanding, consumerism also destroys environment because of increasing in consumers
demand. Then, the business owners need to produce more products from natural resources and
pollute to the air and water.

Introduction

Consumerism is an economic theory which states excessive level of consumption of mate-

rial goods or services with paying low attention to their true need, durability, origin of the product
and the environmental effects of manufacture and disposal which give benefits to producers and
economy. Over-consumption is sometimes negatively attributed to consumerism. Materialistic
belief was created by consumerism that the more materials obtained the better, indicating an ex-
panded value placed on material possessions. Consumers often focus on a desire to follow trends
based on acquirements. A planed outcome of this is to speed up the discarding of the old com-
modities, either because of lack of durability or an old trend. The example of a hyper-consumerist
society is in the United States of America. People are continually assailed with advertisements
attracting them to buy goods.

Literature review

"Any time the urge strikes, we now have the capability to act on it impulsively, and that
creates a much greater challenge for us than was ever the case before," said by psychologist Stu-
art Vyse, PhD (Oxford University Press, 2008).
 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !3

At the end of World War II, American soldiers went back home to a country quite differ-
ent from the one they had left four years earlier. Production during the war had helped America's
economy from economic depression. From the late 1940s, young adults saw a noticeable increase
in their spending. Careers were abundant, salaries were raised, and because of the lack of con-
sumer goods during the war, Americans were enthusiastic to pay. In the same years, young cou-
ples married and had children at unique rates. New and expanded federal programs, including the
G.I. Bill of Rights, allowed many young families to purchase their own homes that are frequently
located in rapidly expanding suburbs (Novotney, 2008).

After World War II, consumer spending meant just comforting an kind material desire.
"The good purchaser devoted to 'more, newer and better' was the good citizen, since economic
recovery after a decade and a half of depression and war depended on a dynamic mass consump-
tion economy. (Cohen, n.d.).

When the war ended, most people desired the items included televisions, cars, washing
machines, refrigerators, toasters, and vacuum cleaners which are the machines that would help
them improve their quality of lives. From the statistics had shown that between 1945 and 1949,
Americans bought 20 million refrigerators, 21.4 million cars, and 5.5 million stoves, a trend that
continued well into the 1950s. "The values associated with domestic spending upheld traditional
American concerns with pragmatism and morality, rather than opulence and luxury. Purchasing
for the home helped alleviate traditional American uneasiness with consumption: the fear that
spending would lead to decadence. (Tyler May, n.d.). In the late 2007, the Great
Recession turned the American shopper into the American scrimper. People bought less com-
modities. After seven years, people were ready to shop again.

Consumers have rebounded from the recession. Younger Americans are especially anx-
ious to start spending and the shopping has already begun. The Great Depression scarred an older
generation of Americans, this country has most recent economic contraction left behind a more
cautious nation. Almost 75 percent of Americans either lost a job or had a relative or close
friend who did in the last few years. People have just been traumatised. Theyre still struggling,
worried, and anxious. Even though theyre working, they dont believe their jobs are stable, they
fear layoffs, and theres a sense of impermanence. (Horn, n.d.). Ted Dave (n.d.), a Canadian
artist, founded the theory "Buy Nothing Day", which is a good way to describe consumer how
 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !4

addicted to shopping they are, and it is a good way to make people think about how consumption
is demolishing the countrys economy.
Nowadays, consumerism is illustrated to be a negative viewpoint of people's lives and
buying behaviours that certainly leads to materialism. But consumerism also have certain positive
traits. Consumerism appeared from historical process that has created mass markets, industrialisa-
tion, and cultural attitudes; moreover, it also has an influence in increasing incomes to provide
more spending power. Companies compete by inventing a new product to satisfy consumer's
want everyday. Even though it has been said that money is the root of all evil, many people actu-
ally believe that they would be happier if they were wealthier. People often want more than they
have now such as a better car and a bigger house but they will never be satisfied. Big companies
and corporations try to attract consumers to purchase their commodities by using more marketing
techniques. It is the most difficult to change spending behaviours due to our consumption patterns
are a part of our daily lives. A decline in demand for outcomes will lead to economic recession or
even depression, along with massive unemployment.

Benefits
The economy depends on people purchasing goods. If people only bought essential goods,
most of the country would be jobless and unable to make enough money to buy those necessities.
The increasing of demand for consumer goods and services supports business owners to invest in
expanded production so consumption growth also encourages economic growth. Therefore, con-
sumerism raises consumption, more consumption wants more production, more production mean
more careers and more earnings in society, and more earnings mean more consumption. This is
the cycle which if managed properly can bring growth and prosperity to society. Consumerism is
important to our economy, but experts should imply rules and laws to make sure that con-
sumerism does not destroy our economic cycle.
Spending power in consumer culture help to drive the economy by encouraging people to
purchase commodities. In consumer-oriented cultures, people see overspending as necessary for
happiness. In economic recession, this perceived need can support consumers to spend their mon-
ey more than before. Moreover, consumer culture also supports consumers to view spending as a
bonding experience. Small businesses also take advantage of consumer culture by concentrating
 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !5

on the lifestyle benefits of their products and by encouraging customers to view their products as
key to happiness.

Problems
There are several aspects that consumerism affects the environment. Consumerism can
cause air and water pollution, land contamination, and forest degradation. Industrial waste, waste
from the tourist industry, waste from commercial agriculture, and vehicle industry are examples
of water and air pollutions. The creation, processing, and consumption of goods requires the ex-
traction and natural resources; moreover, it needs the production of factories which creates pollu-
tion to the air, river, and etc. Since consumer culture emphasises the happiness brought about by
material things, it can support people to spend more money than before. Debt is one of important
financial problems in the United States. Consumer culture links to greed, and may create a bad
cycle how an individual often buys things to be happy or catch up with neighbours, but must con-
tinue doing so to maintain happiness.

Methodology

The researchers want to find out the benefits and problems from consumerism in the
United States of America. The researchers interviewed 2 people. In the first interview, the re-
searchers interviewed 38-year-old Americans who is a teacher in Mahidol University In-
ternational Demonstration School (MUIDS). In the second interview, the researchers interviewed
44-year-old Thai woman who had been lived in the United States of America for 20 years. The
researchers chose this method of data collection because it can obtain the opinion of the intervie-
wees clearly and reasonably.

Result

In the first interview, data from the interview has shown that he thought that consumerism
affects the society absolutely because you interview me with a cell phone that you probably do
not need it, wearing designer clothing that you got from nice high-society store. We bought this
shirt for certain reason, I do not need it because I already have one. So, it absolutely impact the
society. Moreover, consumerism does impact the environment because it takes excessive re-
sources to make products. The more you need these resources, the more you need to get out from
 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !6

the earth and take up space and time. Consumerism is fair to both producers and consumers actu-
ally because consumerism can work in certain cases but I think that it always benefits to the busi-
ness that sell items.

In the second interview, data from the interview has shown that she believed strongly that
consumerism affects the society particularly improving the economy because people take money
to the country so the government will gain more money to develop infrastructures and other pub-
lic services. However, when people want to consume goods and services, they need to find any-
way to buy it even when they dont have money, they borrow from friends, ask from their par-
ents, etc. On the other hand, it makes people more materialistic. Materialism is when you care
about things more than people. Sometimes, it created jealous to your friends and yourself like
when we want to have things that our friends have. It also makes people over-spending. More-
over, consumerism definitely demolish the environment since it utilise natural resources to pro-
duce the products such as leather, tree, and also to create solution to the environment. It leads to
excessive consumption must come from excessive production that comes from excessive re-
sources.

Discussion

Consumerism happens for many years and it is still be the problems at the present time.
Some people think that consumerism is good because it affects growth of economic. People
spend more money which means that the more money flow in the economic cycle, if people buy
only necessary goods, how economy can get enough money to drive businesses. On the other
hand, some people think that consumerism is bad because it increase peoples desire which means
that people become over-spending that causes environmental destroying because producers need
to produce more goods. According to Stuart Vyse ( phycologist ), he concluded that Americans
buy too much unnecessary things that lead to consumerism and materialistic belief. A Canadian
artist named Ted Dave founded the theory Buy Nothing Day which is an international day of
protesting against consumerism to make people noticed about how people addicted to shopping
they are.
 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !7

Conclusion

Consumerism happened dominantly at the end of World War II. Production during the war
helped America from economic depression because the more people are spending, the more mon-
ey flow in economy. After the World War II, many people think that people who can buy better
products are good citizens. From the statistic has shown that people started to spend more money.
Then, people stop buying too much things because they are afraid that spending would lead to
decadence, but seven years after they started to shop again. Consumerism can give benefits to the
society since it can make the economy rebounded from recession because it increases peoples
spending which means that more money flow in the society. On the other hand, consumerism also
causes many problems. It destroys environment because if consumers demand increase, the pro-
ducers will need to produce more product from natural resources or make the pollution to the air
and water. Moreover, people become more materialistic and over-spending which mean people
also care about things more than others.
 Benefits and Problems of Consumerism in the States !8

References

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