Does money buy happiness? This controversial question has been researched, studied, and answered by psychologists over the past 80 years. (V. Bodenhausen) Over time, generations’ misuse of consumerism has worsened, causing a rise in materialism. Living a materialistic lifestyle has caused feelings of discomfort in consumers throughout the nation. Although consumerism contributes to economic growth and is beneficial to businesses and industrialization, materialism contributes to the deterioration of society, mental health, and cultural values. Throughout the past century, consumerism has been proven to affect the characteristics and mental health of consumers.
Consumerism is that faith that meaning identity and significance can be found in the material, commodity consumption, which in turn requires money. (Speth) Consumerism is one of many things America is known for. Over the span of a century, America has become extremely industrial and booming with businesses. The country’s economy is judged by the amount of American’s spend, which contributes to why Americans value consumerism so much. During the 1940s consumer spending in America started to rise. During World War II, wartime production in the country helped the American economy out of depression. Between 1945 and 1949, Americans purchased 20 million refrigerators, 21.4 million cars, and 5.5 million stoves, which continued into the following decade. (PBS)
Throughout the 1950s, consumerism was praised as “patriotic.” According to APA, American Psychological Association, compared with Americans in 1957, today we own twice as many cars per person, eat out twice as often and enjoy endless other commodities that weren’t around then. Merchandise such as televisions, electronics, and vehicles are examples of the commodities that have become popular purchases. (DeAngelis) Although these assets are socially normalized as “necessities'', many Americans tend to overspend and a...