consumerism means overshop. The expression is used to identify a person's behavior or tendency to exaggerate consumption habits or make purchases on impulse.
This behavior can be characterized by the development of compulsive behavior, in which the person consumes objects, services or food in an exaggerated way and without reflecting on the real need to make a purchase.
Thus, when talking about consumerism, it refers to investing in products that are not necessary, that is, superfluous items. Who has this type of behavior is called consumerist.
Causes of Consumerism
To understand the causes of consumerism, it is necessary to understand a little about the reasons that led to its emergence.
The growth of consumption habits happens after the increase in industrial production, which occurs after the Industrial Revolution, when more investments were made in the production of services.
With investment in production, the quantity of goods available to consumers has grown more and more. And to sell what was produced, it was necessary to stimulate the desire to buy in consumers. As a result, consumption habits were increasingly encouraged and growing.
Over time, the act of consuming began to be associated with positive ideas, such as happiness, a feeling of satisfaction or being successful.
Consumerism, Capitalism and Globalization
For these reasons, consumerism is considered one of the problems caused by the existence of the capitalist system, being present in all contemporary societies.
Another factor that contributes to consumerism is the globalization, as it makes different products easily found in all parts of the world. Easy access to many products also helps to encourage unrestrained consumption.
In addition to the growth of industrial production and the expansion of the capitalist system, there is the emergence of the advertising market. Along with the means of communication, which reach everyone easily, it also influenced the increase in consumption.
From the growth in consumption, the expression consumer society, which represents the relationship between consumer behavior and capitalism. In the consumer society, the production of goods and services is excessive in relation to the need and demand of consumers.
the Polish philosopher Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017), who studied the subject, argued that modern society was basically composed of consumer people. He understood that excessive consumption habits had a direct influence on the formation of the identity of individuals, making it difficult for them to be understood as human beings and not as goods.
See also the meanings of capitalism, globalization and meet some characteristics of globalization.
Consequences of Consumerism
Over time, increased consumption has changed people's lifestyles. Today, it is known that consumerism can generate numerous consequences, such as indebtedness and the appearance of diseases such as anxiety and depression.
The presence of these characteristics can, for example, indicate the existence of a disorder called oniomania. This pathology is characterized by an obsessive behavior in relation to the act of shopping.
In general, this disorder can more easily affect people who have a high degree of stress or anxiety. However, it does not mean that only anxious or depressive people develop the pathology, just as not all people with these characteristics will develop oniomania.
Consequences for the environment
Consumerism also damages the environment, such as excess waste production, in addition to the large amount of pollution generated by industries. Currently, it is known that excessive consumption is not a sustainable alternative and causes severe impacts on the environment.
E-waste is a more recent problem linked to increased consumption. Nowadays, the consumption of electronic products is increasing and the durability of these products is not so extensive. This is mainly due to planned obsolescence (shortening the useful life of a product to encourage the consumption of new goods).
Read more about the junk mail and the scheduled obsolescence.
Consumerism in Brazil
The country follows the global trend of excess consumption. There are surveys that show that only 24% of consumers consider themselves aware of their own consumption patterns.
Data collected by the National Confederation of Store Leaders also show that 55% of people consider themselves in transition in relation to consumption, that is, it is people who have been reflecting on the impact and need for their purchases.
Another survey, by the NGO Akatu, reveals that, in relation to the motivation to rethink consumption habits, residents of the north, northeast and Midwest feel more stimulated for concrete reasons (for the benefit of future generations, for sustainability and for the social impact, for example).
Residents of the Southeast region, on the other hand, rethink their habits for emotional reasons (own economy, desire for a simpler life and more health benefits).
Difference between consumerism and consumption
Consumerism and consumption refer to the act of shopping, but the terms have different meanings. Consumerism is the tendency or habit of shopping in excess, that is, beyond the needs or without a specific purpose.
Consumption, on the other hand, means the act of buying or acquiring a good or a service, for example. However, unlike consumerism, it does not necessarily mean exaggerated behavior.
Know more about consumption and consumer.
Lowsumerism
O lowsumerism, formed by the words low and consumerism, can be translated as “low/low consumption”. It is a movement that emerged more recently that seeks to make people reflect on their consumption habits.
O lowsumerism not only does it propose to reduce consumption, the most important thing is to make people aware of the role that consumption plays in their lives.
The reflections proposed by the movement are:
- question the real need to acquire a new asset,
- stimulate creativity to reuse products and objects,
- practice more sustainable consumption habits,
- reflect on the manufacturing policies of the companies that you usually consume,
- question the quality and quantity of information consumed,
- realize what are the environmental impacts generated by acts of consumption.
Know more about sustainable consumption.