Hyperconsumerism, hyper-consumerism, hyperconsumption or hyper-consumption
refer to the consumption of goods for non-functional purposes[1] and the associated
significant pressure to consume those goods exerted by the modern, capitalist society, as
those goods shape one's identity.[2][3] Frenchy Lunning defines it
curtly as "a consumerism for the sake of consuming."[4]
From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia
One
of the characteristics of hyperconsumerism is the constant pursuit of novelty,
encouraging consumers to buy new and discard the old, like with clothes and
trendy articles. Most often, the
items haven’t been used all that much so they are “stored”, who knows why. Perhaps because “we paid good money for
that and it’s hardly been used”.
Often
things are bought simply as status symbols, to “keep up with the Joneses”. But mostly we buy because it makes us
feel good. Unfortunately,
hedonistic adaptation soon sets in and the pleasure we felt at the beginning
wears off. So we’re off to buy something new.
But
even if it’s not new, lots of us are buying-bound. Think about the stuff sold at thrift stores and flea
markets. What about the excitement
during auctions at storage facilities? People buy the junk inside the units
unseen.
And
don’t get me started about clothes addiction.
„The marketing strategy of the fast-fashion industry is to encourage the shortest of short-term decision making by encouraging impulse buying in two ways. First, items are priced high enough to maximize profit margins but low enough so people do not hesitate to make purchases because of price; second, merchants introduce and remove stuff so fast that customers worry that the item they are thinking of buying won’t be available the next day. As fashion seasons give way to incessant “innovation,” conspicuous consumption becomes constant consumption.“ Mark C. Taylor, Excerpted from "Speed Limits: Where Time Went and Why We Have So Little Left"
In
an article entitled “Britain’s Bulging Closet: Growth of ‘Fast Fashion’ - Women
Are Buying HALF Their Body Weight in Clothes Each Year,” Paul
Sims reports that the average woman in England has twenty-two
garments hanging in her closet that she has never worn and will spend on
average $201,000 on clothing during her lifetime.
Every
time I see this film, I want to run and clear out some stuff:
Or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pb-hjqdjbY
If
we would buy 90% less of the stuff that clutters our garages and rooms, we
would belong to the wealthy. As it is, we store our lost wealth on shelves and
floors, and in closets and storage facilities.
Yet
there is a spark of hope on the horizon.
A
recent study by Young
and Rubicam, which tracks 750,000 consumers in 50 countries every
year for 17 years, identified the biggest shift in consumer attitudes that they
have ever seen – one they believe is here to stay. In the US, they see
Americans "returning to bedrock American virtues – thrift, faith,
creativity, hard work, community and more – in order to build new lives of
purpose and connection". Consumers are beginning to reject "cheap and
more" as they search for a better balance in their lives.
Set
yourself free. It’s just STUFF.
