Personal Essay- Consumerism - 1014 Words

Chao Yi Wu Professor Sean Thomas Gauthier 345-102-MQ Consumerism and its Discontents 28 September 2012 Personal Essay As the consumption level and living quality keep increasing, most of us no longer need to worry about not having enough to eat and wear, so we start to consume in growing numbers. Therefore, a lot of us became so-called consumerists. After reading the book written by Annie Leonard, I got a clearer idea on the consumerist worldview, and I thought about how am I fitting in this consumer society as well. First of all, we need to distinguish well the terms â€Å"consumption† and â€Å"consumerism† , because these are two completely different ideas. Consumption is the only way to meet our basic needs. Everyone does it, or else we†¦show more content†¦I believe that if their family condition is fair, most of the parents wouldn’t want their child to wear the same old clothes everyday or to buy second-hand stuff or even to use a cell phone for more than five years. I think there is nothing wrong to purchase new items which can bring you pleasure, as long as you find an appropriate way to weed out your old stuff. Donation is always a good way to do it. If you can help the people in poverty by replacing your old items with new ones, why not? Besides, I think that the money you have earned is meant to be spent. What else can you do with it anyways? As for me, I like to shopping and buy some new clothes from time to time, and I think it is a pleasure to wear a pretty new outfit. In order to weed out the old clothes, we will do a spring cleaning every year and donate them to the helping centers. However, I do agree that your family and friends can bring a lot more hapiness than the materials do, but they don’t necessarily conflict with each other. As for my family, my parents still have a lot of time to spend with me after work. In the meantime, they are providing me everything I need, and I am very happy with my current lifestyle. Therefore, despite all the negative aspects of the consumerism, I think we cannot get rid of it. Consuming is one of the most important part in our lives, and is part and parcel of the economy. However, we do need to think about how to reduce all kinds of wastesShow MoreRelatedTaking an Inside Look at Collaborative Consumerism Essay1045 Words   |  5 Pagesmobile technologies. Corporate America that contributed to over-consumption has raised global environmental and financial concerns. 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