Consumerism In America and Why Are You Wearing Gang Colors?
Consumerism in America rages on. Every year, billions of dollars are spent on research and advertising to entice us to buy the useless, cool stuff we don’t want or need.
Consumerism in America can be a real problem. This is designed to make us feel inadequate and insecure and believe we need this useless cool stuff to fill the gaps in our lives.
This advertising has many doing what I call Consumerism in America, increasingly trance dance.
Minimalism has emerged as a counter to the more, more, and more trance dance called consumerism in America. Just think about it. Societies not exposed to this type of advertising bombardment don’t do the consumerism in America more and more trance dance.
The natural desires that all humans have to acquire things are directed in more natural ways and not hijacked by well-crafted and highly researched advertising campaigns.
It is not all the advertiser’s fault. Human beings have a natural desire to acquire things. It’s just that the well-researched and well-crafted advertising bombardment has accelerated those desired greatly towards over-consumption for nothing other than pure profit.
Because many of us are affected by the so-called consumerism in America, we go into debt or have to work harder and many more hours a week to stay afloat. This takes more and more time away from friends, family,
and the things we really would like to be doing.
There was a time not too long ago when people lived a simpler life. Only one person worked in a family and the family could afford a home, a yearly vacation, and college for the kids. All was simple then. Less was more and people were happier.
Consumerism in America: Are They Trying To Help Us
Those days may be long gone due to lower wages and the rapid growth of consumerism in America. This is a bad mix for us and the companies that advertise to us. They spend billions on research and advertising campaigns and less on employee wages.
This, in turn, leaves the consumer with less money to buy their useless products and services. This hurts them and us in ways that are immeasurable.
The companies that run the advertising campaigns seem to be doing more, more, and more trance dances to rob you of your life savings and happiness. They are playing for keeps and they have crafted advertising campaigns to appeal to your basic human desires to acquire things.
We must stop and ask ourselves if these advertisers and companies are on our side. Are they really offering us help? Do we need that stuff? Don’t buy the stuff if you don’t need it.
Why clutter your homes, attics, closets, basements, and garages with more must-have useless stuff? Why be burdened with and spend time managing that clutter? You can open the door, look at the clutter of that must-have stuff, and close the door again.
You still know it is there and one day soon you will have to manage and deal with the mountain of useless stuff and clutter. Yeah. You think you will use some of it one day but that day has not come yet.
There are a million things you would love to be doing besides thinking about that stuff in the attic, closets, basement, and garage.
Why Wear The Gang Colors?
Yes! You may be a gang member and proudly wear gang colors. We proudly wear the logos and phrases of the well-researched and well-funded advertiser. We assign the perceived value to the product or service the advertisers choose to appeal to you.
I am always fascinated by my reaction to seeing a dollar bill on the ground as opposed to a candy wrapper. They both are paper but one has a high perceived value.
When I see a $100 bill on the ground, I experience a physical and emotional reaction, as opposed to no response to the candy wrapper. Why is that? There are people in the world who have no use for either.
They both are just paper. The power comes when many buy into the perceived value. I cannot receive goods and services in exchange for candy wrappers. The one piece of paper’s perceived value turns into real value when others share it.
This is why people wear the gang uniforms of the advertiser. It has value to them. The perceived value can sway the way people think of you and how you feel about yourself.
It can say to others I belong to a particular class and I have value. It can signify wealth or success. Wearing the advertiser’s gang colors projects their well-researched advertising campaign, and many acknowledge that perceived value.
Working as a Telecommunications Engineer I regularly service customers around the World Famous Wall St area in New York City. You will see an ocean of men and women wearing quality business suits on any given day and there is a perceived value in wearing those gang colors.
I have always found it strange that a fashion-conscious rapper’s outfit often costs more than the average business suit, but the person may be looked down upon on Wall Street.
There are more and more people like Russell Simmons that don’t wear the business suit and still garners respect on Wall Street but they are the exception. They made a choice and so can you.
Sometimes, perceived value has value, but in your world, you have control. You have control over assigning a value to what is important. Reject consumerism and embrace Minimalism.
Spend your time and money on what is essential. Fill your life with quality memories with family, friends, service, and not stuff.
Minimalists Stopped Doing The More More Trance Dance
Minimalists have vowed not to purchase blindly and not purchase useless stuff. To know the difference between want and need. Advertising is designed to trigger your wants.
It does not need advertising to trigger it. Over time, you can learn to reject the desires triggered by advertising to buy their junk. Over time, you can automatically reject the wants triggered by advertising and only respond to your and your family’s needs.
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Here is how you begin:
- Being aware of the advertising game is half the battle. Understand the difference between wants and needs.
- Never impulse buy; buy solely because of the advertisement. Stop, pause, think, and postpone before you decide to buy.
- Postpone! The purchase can wait if it is not an absolute necessity at that time.
- Take the time to think about the purchase. Is it an absolute need? Can I do without it? Do I own something else that can fulfill that need?
- Trust your instincts. Over time, you will get better at avoiding the junk.
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Livings Simple Minimalists let go of the desires of wants over time. Before he knows it, he buys less, spends less, needs to work less, and has less stress.
The Living Simple Minimalist is now happier spending time with friends and family and living more with less. They were cured of Consumerism in America.
