CONSUMERISM

Research has shown that as people become more materialistic, their sense of well-being and purpose decreases, and it increases if they adopt a less materialistic lifestyle and attitude.

Materialism is good for the economy. It fuels growth and prosperity in society. However, it can have a negative impact on people as individuals. In most cases, it can lead to anxiety and depression. Some of the negative impacts of consumerism include damaged relationships, disintegrated communities and a polluted environment.

Consumerism and materialism often encourage people to compare themselves with others. Usually, the way people portray themselves is not close to their reality. Therefore, most people think that others are doing better than them, which results in feelings of deficiency. Advertising plays an important role in this process. With the large amount of advertising that we are exposed to every day, it is not surprising that there are a great number of things we feel we want and need – while we really don’t.

Most people believe that purchasing more things will make them happier, whereas research has shown this is far from true. Countless studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the level of materialism in society and the number of cases of depression and anxiety in the population.