The causes of consumerism can be political, social, cultural, economic or by the effect of the publicity that the media perform.
He consumerism is a phenomenon that arises in the twentieth century, which is characterized by the massive acquisition of goods that are not indispensable for the development of being.
The need to acquire products or access certain resources that do not represent a priority, has unleashed this problem of consumption, which brings some consequences to the environment.
The origin of the word consumerism comes from the Latin"consumere". Its meaning is associated with destruction and expense.
The modern society has adopted this scheme and its impact generates an imbalance in the environment that can be evidenced in the drastic climatic changes.
5 main causes of consumerism
1. Political causes
When the political system of a country does not compensate the basic necessities of its population and does not foment the responsible consumption, it generates disorders in the acquisition of the products.
2. Social causes
It results when members of a society are tempted to acquire some assets that project prestige or social status.
If only one sector of the population can access a particular product, when the economic measures facilitate the acquisition of this to the rest of the population, its consumption is excessive.
An imbalance in the distribution of wealth is generated, due to the social inequality between the consumers and the entrepreneurs producing the product.
3. Economic causes
Financial crises often encourage people to purchase products in massive quantities.
The need to stock up or the feeling of scarcity, forces people to buy in large quantities.
This creates a condition that modifies the consumption parameters and leads the individual to make excessive purchases, even if he is not in a situation of contingency.
4. Cultural causes
The globalization has led people to adopt foreign cultures, which drives them to buy products that become trend for a limited period of time.
Generally, fashions have an expiration date and this leads to discarding the material purchased to be replaced by new trends.
As a result, a false identity is generated in the individual who incurs imitation.
5. Advertising
The advertising has been responsible for changing the thinking of people by encouraging them to consume products they do not need.
What in the past were complementary or luxurious articles, have become a necessity for many, thanks to this effect of advertising.
Environmental impact of consumerism
Use and disposal
The current society has adopted a behavior that is not given any importance to the use of resources.
People can get to buy goods without needing them, which will later cause their disposal and increase levels of garbage accumulation in landfills or landfills.
Low quality
To increase the numbers in the companies' finances, they are tempted to degrade the quality of the products, which reduces costs and increases the easy acquisition.
By evading certain controls, these can be much more damaging to the environment.
Consumption of resources
By increasing demand, the consumption of resources is much greater, which affects the environment through the production processes.
References
- "Consumerism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." en.wikipedia.org . Consulted on September 16, 2017.
- "Consumption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." en.wikipedia.org. Consulted on September 16, 2017.
- "Consumerism - Wikipedia." en.wikipedia.org . Consulted on September 16, 2017.
- "What is consumerism? definition and meaning - BusinessDictionary.com." businessdictionary.com Consulted on September 16, 2017.
"Consumerism - Investopedia." investopedia.com . Consulted on September 16, 2017.