Consumption

Consumption

            Everyday it seems that our new favorite gadgets (ipods, iphones, cameras) are coming out with newer versions that everyone has to have, because if you don’t have the newest coolest version, than you yourself are not cool. In the documentary The Story of Stuff there is a lot of points brought up that not a lot of people associate with their consumption of their “favorite goods”: in the past decade we have used over 1/3 of our natural resources that we cannot get back, just so we can have more clothes, cars, gadgets and things that make us feel better about ourselves (if only for a certain amount of time.)

            Since the majority of North America is so obsessed with consumption, it has led us to being greedy about the environment; we use 30% of the world’s resources! We wreck forests and don’t care about pollution, global warming, or anything else for that matter unless it pertains to our lives and what’s happening in the moment.We also don’t care about the toxins that are going into our products (which we love so much and always have to have with us) that in turn make us sick and go into our bodies; not only do they go into OUR bodies but they go into the factory workers bodies (who are normally in third world countries) and it makes them sick.

            Gone are the days where you could buy something and have it last you over 10-15 years, like a TV, a dishwasher, a stove or a washer/dryer set. These days things are made to break down and be thrown out in a matter of months, or if you’re lucky years! This is done on purpose because the big corporations know that we live off of these things and we always need the new model of what we have now; so they make washers, cameras, and phones to not last very long so we can buy more of them and it turns into a vicious cycle. This is the exact same strategy with clothes (mostly women’s fashion) ; every few months the top designer change what’s “in” and what’s cool, what every desirable women should be wearing. They do this because they know the majority of the population wants to look like they’re hip and high in socioeconomic status, so they’ll buy whatever they promote. People who are frugal and don’t have the new “in” things are seen as hippies and a lot of the time laughed at.

            Now with everything changing like women’s fashion and breaking down like our electronics and household appliances, this creates more pollution for the world we’re living in. Landfills are overflowing with our garbage; our electronics with the toxins in it are seeping into the ground, into our earth and polluting our things even more! Next time you’re out shopping, you should consider all of these points! Do you really need that sweater? Also, think about shopping local, growing your own vegetables or even buying organic and fair trade. Every little bit helps our future generations!