“If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. The New Road Map Foundation illustrates with cogent statistics the dichotomy between things, happiness and the health of the environment. The idealistic vision and common misconception that happiness is a result of consumerism has become a way of thinking for many and tends to skew emotional decisions. It becomes like a drug, you get more and more hooked onto this notion. "Compared with their grandparents, today's young adults have grown up with much more affluence, slightly less happiness and much greater risk of depression and assorted social pathology," David G. Myers, author of The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty, wrote in an American Psychologist article. CDH usually describes the insurance aspects of healthcare only, including the various types of insurance plans, supplements, and subsets available such as Health Savings Accounts. ; Insurance Choice: Patients can choose their insurance coverage. In fact, the American consumer was praised as a patriotic citizen in the 1950s, contributing to the ultimate success of the American way of life. Part I A. This fact has been established in numerous studies. Food, car, clothing, electronics, appliance, pharmaceutical companies…and even the U.S. government seduce us to consume more. Findings from a survey of life satisfaction in more than 65 countries indicate that income and happiness tend to track well until about $13,000 of … While consumption is an activity people engage in, sociologists understand consumerism to be a powerful ideology characteristic of Western society that frames our worldview, values, relationships, identities, and behavior. It defines our current social norms of success. The New Road Map Foundation illustrates with cogent statistics the dichotomy between things, happiness and the health of the environment. Next should be “what is happiness”? In a sense – a form of social control with the encouragement of consumerism. On the contrary, critics of consumerism do not agree with the proponents on the idea of consumerism and happiness cum satisfaction associated with it. It all ran amuck until the stock market crash and The Great Depression that followed. This strong correlation disappears soon after. On the other hand, recent findings by the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative led by Ronald Kessler of Harvard Medical School suggests that the highest rates of depression are seen in nations with the highest incomes. It’s a vicious cycle that leaves us less content than where we started off, which is probably the reason why we aren’t feeling as enough as a buddhist monk living in a tiny cottage somewhere in the Himalayas.. *Cover image artwork by Malaysian contemporary artist Azad Daniel Haris as part of his ‘Space Invaders’ exhibition representing Consumerism. •Consumerism in the world is the greatest surpresant of happiness (Fance). With the industrial revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the supply of goods would grow beyond consumer demand, and so manufacturers turned to planned obsolescence and advertising to manipulate consumer spending. Since this kind of happiness is something people are We only like to think of the new car and the new phone and believe that they’ll always be there and so will we, but that’s just not true. I often ask myself if happiness is really a result of consumerism as society has made us believe. ... For the Planet and Your Happiness. Consumeristic Society One recent study found that by age 16 the typical American will have seen almost six million ads.1 This translates into more than one ad per waking minute.2 Such unrelenting commercial bombardment is exerting a powerful e ect on American culture. The study found that when materialistic objects are pursued as a way to gain success, increase happiness or reduce feelings of loneliness, they actually led to … Overconsumption is costing us the earth and human happiness. Applying the psychology of our basic human desire for status and belonging, Sloan advertised cars as symbols of wealth and prestige. A 2010 study out of Princeton University found that there's a correlation between happiness and wealth, to a point of about $75,000 per year. Americans allow $165 billion of food to … It feels freeing to give up consumerism. In a culture that loves consumerism, happiness has become the ultimate consumer product. Nevertheless, people with higher incomes not always tend to consume more, but in countries where consumerism is embedded in the culture, people with higher incomes have the tendency to consume more, even those with an environmental awareness (Pacala, 2008 fide Assadourian, 2010). An increase in the average consumption of those of the same age, education and gender at the community level has a positive effect on happiness, consistent with a signalling effect, while an increase in the consumption of the highest spenders in this group engenders a jealousy effect. Rebus sic stantibus, consumerism, a term used by sociologists to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions, can even do worse as long as it determines an increase in the amount of purchased goods. Your source for the latest research news. Alternative definitions of happiness and well-being involve such concepts as functionings and capabilities (Sen, 1999), flourishing, or some spiritual idea of true happiness. ... consider just a few key statistics. Consumer culture drives us to seek happiness and fulfillment through mindless consumption and serves as a necessary component … A Brief History of the “Gospel of Consumerism” and American-Style Happiness. Economic studies at Yale University suggest that there is a correlation between the happiness of a nation and its GDP. Importantly, how happiness is conveyed matters—from product benefits, to the personality of the brand, through to the appropriate color pallet. In Botswana, for instance, since diamonds were discovered in 1966, the country’s relatively strong economy has created a new breed of consumer. paradox and people’s happiness increases as income rise. Market driven forces have ursurped the role once assumed by family, home, common-sense and community. It is a strong statement when the largest shopping mall in the world and the most visited building on the planet in 2011 (Dubai Mall) chooses to display signage that suggests that there is a direct link between the act of shopping and enjoying life, as seen in the following images. Branding has always been a crucial element on the streets of major cities such as London, but it has now reached an all-time peak with the spread of cities such as Dubai and Singapore that are built on these notions. Alfred Sloan, President of General Motors, designed and sold cars based on status, price and luxury. A further study on materialism found that it could foster social isolation. Images displayed at the main atrium of the Dubai Mall, Dubai UAE. 2008).