enssay consumerist

8/17/2019 enssay consumerist

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CENTRO COLOMBO AMERICANO

TRANSLATION PROGRAM

SEMESTER 1

TEACHER: ROGER CASTRO

ENGLISH CLASS

ESSAY TOPIC

CONSUMERISM AND GLOBALIZATION.

BY

JESUS PATRON DORIA


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…CONSUMERISM IS KILLING EVERYBODY…

´´if y! "#$% &#'!() y!$*) #% +i,i#-´´

Norwadays the economic system makes available to people all kinds of

products and consumer goods, from the basics, such as food or clothing, eventhe most bizarre, like caps that can hold soda cans.

Consumption as a concept does not refer to anything bad or harmful. We can

define it as simply consume to satisfy needs or desires. The problem comes

when this activity becomes pathological. Then we no longer speak of

'consumption', but of 'consumerism'. The panish !oyal "cademy #!"$%

defines consumerism as &the immoderate tendency to acuire, spend or

consume thinks, not always necessary.&

The welfare model of modern society is based on possession and accumulation

of goods, which serves as a (ustification for proliferates consumerism amongpeople. )f the goal of life is to have a lot of things, the main activity is benefiting

is logically consumption. *ossession and accumulation of goods tends always

be immoderately, as pointed out by the definition of the "!.

The term seems to be an ad(ective immoderate too sub(ective. What is to be an

immoderate consumer+ ow many i*ods have to buy to consider it something

immoderate +. The definitions of the !oyal "cademy stand out as being

ob(ective and rigorous, so, including immoderate ad(ective in the definition of

'consumerism' may surprise you. The !"$ defines moderate as to avoid

e-cess, so immoderate for it is something that does not.

)mmoderate use of the ad(ective is e-plained with the following uestion To

what e-tent do we need what we buy+ )s our consumption necessary for our

lives+ $verything that is consumed without being really a need can be seen as

an e-cess, in so far e-ceeds the basic necessities of life of an individual. o,

say that the current consumption is immoderate and is not sub(ective, but has

become something ob(ectively true we all consume immoderately, because we

consume too much. We do not need everything we buy. /ost of our purchases

are e-cesses that seem to us necessary.

We need what we buy to the e-tent that we self0convinced #or convince us% thatthe product in uestion will help us to be happier and live better. )n that sense,

the consumer society with the individual's principal activity is consumption.

1or many authors who defend the consumer society reflects a high level of

socioeconomic development, manifested in the increase of income of each

individual. They also believe that this type of society based on constant

consumption gives people the opportunity to buy goods and increasingly

diversified services, and that contributes to improving the uality of life and

produces greater social euality, and that many individuals who can gain a lot of

products that, according to the thesis defense system, will contribute to their

much better and happier lives.


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Thus the main argument for the defense of the consumer society is based on

consumption contributes to improving the uality of life of people and helps

societies to develop. What pro0consumer authors forget that there are many

who can not consume in this ideal society where people can buy anything theywant, because the main reuirement to en(oy the consumer society, modern

and developed, is to have money. )n today's society there are still millions of

poor, even in developed countries that can not participate in the consumer

society.

"lthough perhaps not as important to involve, as consumption today can not be

understood as an activity that allows people to survive.

The main feature that differentiates mass consumption as we know it today the

traditional consumption in other periods of history is the goal that motivates

people to consume. )f before it was consumed to cover basic needs #food,clothing ...%, currently most of the consumerist activity aims to meet the wishes

of consumers, who considered necessary goods they demand.

2ne of the features of the economic system and the current consumption is that

it creates artificial needs. Through constant advertising and other techniues,

convincing and trap people in a vicious cycle of consumption, which is very

difficult to get out once you have entered.

2nce inside the 'circus consumption', a host of products, ads, offers and

possibilities appear before the eyes of the individual who, overwhelmed by all

those lights, sounds and images, you feel unable to avoid buying any of theproducts he has before him. 2ften even the false need created seconds after

seeing for the first time a product. ee it in the shop window and realize that it is

essential to continue walking down the street. ow am ) ever lived without

this +3 " few weeks later, the ob(ect in uestion will be forgotten in a trunk, or

perhaps spoiled and thrown away.

)n short, the phenomenon of consumerism increasingly depends on the desire

of necessity.

4ut the current consumption not only aims to cover needs or satisfy desires,

also serves to distinguish people together, showing even more the social classsystem that forms our society today.

"s we discussed, it is only necessary to consume one thing to have money.

1rom there, it all depends on the amount of money that is available. " more

money, more products. 2r again, more money, more e-pensive products.

The more e-pensive a product is less people can possess. This basic rule

e-plains the class system. Not the same skirt the neighborhood store a Chanel

dress, therefore, is not the same as the woman wearing that skirt the dressing

gown. They are two different women. 5ifferent socially.


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4ut although the dress is the feature that differentiates outwardly, actually the

differential factor is money. The amount of money. While that can not see or

know with certainty, it can be deduced, among other things, the way they dress.

That is why the woman has more money decided not to buy the skirt

neighborhood store #could do%. )f you had bought that simple skirt and had beenwearing on the street, no one could have known how much money you have in

reality. To show how social stratum is, thanks to his money, the woman bought

possibilities Chanel dress. "nd so, as you walk down the street, there is no

doubt about their position. $veryone can see that she is different from others. )t

is more than others.

With the e-pansion of consumption by different social echelons, this reality

e-emplified with the skirt and the dress is also observed at levels far less

opulence and wealth. )n the same middle class of society #even in some sectors

of the lower class% and we observe the same behavior among people who,

although they are socially and economically similar, try to differentiate

themselves through the products they consume.

o the young neighborhood that has a bigger bike is better than that is smaller,

or you can wear trousers 6evi's is more than wearing sweatpants. )t is also

better to have the latest model of sunglasses, and carrying a large mobile

phone.

Thus, one of the functions of the individual consumer is to provide ways to

distinguish themselves from other groups of different social level. Companies

and brands know this, and offer their products as e-clusive and uniue pointers.

7iven these clever advertising, it is easy to give in to the temptation to be the

girl or the most e-clusive neighborhood uniue guy, and pointer.

The funny thing is that, in an effort to distinguish themselves from others by

purchasing ob(ects and seemingly uniue products, people in this modern

society, fall into the parado-ical situation that more and more similar to each

other.

With the consumption of unbridled mass is moving towards a progressive loss

of personal identity, since citizens #which actually are no longer 'people', but

'consumers'% respond to consumer models idealized by marketing techniueseffective. That is, there are a large number of people who consume feeling

special and they really are part of the same social group, in which all individuals

have a behavior and a similar culture.

The panish consumer middle class has the same habits as consumers of

)talian middle class, and both seem increasingly to his fellow 4razilians,

8oreans and audis. They consume the same brands of clothes, listen to the

songs of these teen idols, lead in the same helmets ears music, use the same

mobile phones and watch the same movies in the cinema.

Cultural globalization can be considered really a Westernization. $ven mired ineconomic, political and social crisis, the West is still the center of the world,


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especially in terms of culture and consumption is concerned. )t is born in the

West where brands and companies that sell their products around the world.

!eturning to the homogenization that fosters the fact massively consume, add

another interesting point consumption connotes socialization. To the e-tent that

an individual is recognized with certain brands, it is recognized with other consumers of these brands and is distinguished from others who are not like

him.

The customer of a brand of sunglasses tend to find more affinity with people

with these glasses, as consumption is part of culture, and in this current society

all those who are eual in their consumption habits can also be considered

eual in their culture. Thus, new cultures are created as a result of the products

consumed #mainly by the type of clothes that dress or type of music heard%.

"lso, consumption, in addition to meeting basic needs, serves as aspirational.

*eople want to be something else. "nd this is not achieved always wearing thesame pants or always having the same T9. There is always the possibility of

taking a new and better product, and as is possible, there is also the desire.

ociety is e-pressed through consumption. "s we have said is not enough to fill

a need. Currently with consumption should get other benefits, such as

recognition in a social group.

)f you are thirsty, you can drink water, but there are many more options that

water to meet that need. The market offers hundreds of drinks and

refreshments. "lthough they are more e-pensive than water, it too simple and

easy to consume in public good becomes. )t is better to buy a can of soda toforward to others as active, young and modern one is. The water does not

transmit any value. commercial drinks itself.

o, the people have come to become a materialistic, consumerist and highly

competitive society. Competitiveness is also reflected in consumption, as the

fact of buying each year a mobile phone or a new bag does not respond to a

real need, but a desire to be better #or appearing to% in this world in which we

live . 2ne who only have a coat, or living in an apartment can live in a villa, is

considered a loser.

4ecause it is much better to have a full wardrobe of coats and (ackets to wear adifferent one every day. )t is better to have two cars that one. :ou better change

your phone for the latest model, which always live with the same mobile. )t is

better to return with bags of shopping mall to return empty0handed. )t is better to

have many things to be (ust enough.

)n conclusion ) would like us to make a reflection about what we are doing with

our consumer attitudes because all our attitudes are related to everything else,

everything goes in cycles inter0related since all its dynamics gives stability and

They make everything serve for something or damages something. ince in this

life nothing is free, everything has a cost. What cost want to pay for your spending habits+


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who does not eat is not en(oying life to the full because, today, to live is to

eat;..

enssay consumerist

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