English Language IIA
Debate 2: Materialism and Consumerism
Owner:
L-LIIA-G2-1
Members:
ST-LIIA-G2-1
ST-LIIA-G2-2
ST-LIIA-G2-3
ST-LIIA-G2-4
ST-LIIA-G2-5
Discussion Leaders:
DL-LIIA-G2-1
DL-LIIA-G2-2
• L-LIIA-G2-1
FORUM debate 2/Materialism & Consumerism
Group Name: Wasted
Group members: ST-LIIA-G2-1, ST-LIIA-G2-2, ST-LIIA-G2-3, ST-LIIA-G2-4 [&ST-LIIA-G2-5]
Discussion Leaders: DL-LIIA-G2-1 & DL-LIIA-G2-2
STEP 1
Individually write and post an introductory paragraph about yourselves together with four icebreaking questions to get started. Make sure you answer some of the questions posted by the other members of your Google+ community.
• ST-LIIA-G2-2
Hello, whoever is reading this!
My name is ST-LIIA-G2-2. I’m Brazilian even if I don’t look like one. Well, my parents are indeed Chinese but I feel more Spanish since I’ve been there most of my life.
I have lots of hobbies, such as reading, drawing and writing. But the thing I enjoy the most is watching anime and reading mangas. Also, I like to observe people and guess about their life or what’s on their mind. As an introvert person I find it quite entertaining. And it can help in my character’s characterisation. Sometimes real people are my references. Who knows if you’re one.
Some questions for you:
1. Which book(s) has influenced you the most? (One that has changed your way of thinking or living)
2. What is the strangest thing you have ever dreamed?
3. In which way do you usually express your feelings or thoughts when you can’t do it aloud?
4. What’s your biggest ambition?
• DL-LIIA-G2-2
Hey! We’re DL-LIIA-G2-1 and DL-LIIA-G2-2 from the University of Bristol in the South West of England. We’re studying in Valencia as part of our Erasmus year and really enjoying it so far! I (DL-LIIA-G2-2) study Politics and Spanish, and DL-LIIA-G2-1 studies Spanish and German.
What do you guys study and where are you from?
What is your favourite thing about Valencia?
What would you like to do when you finish your degree?
What made you want to learn English?
Please, introduce yourselves! We’d love to get to know you all a little more.
• DL-LIIA-G2-1
+ ST-LIIA-G2-2 Thank you for your post. It was very interesting to read your hobbies and love for anime. I don’t know much about it but I do know it is very popular. Have you moved to Valencia just for University? If so, why? In response to your questions: 1. The book that has probably influenced me most was ‘One Day’ by David Nicholls. Not so much as influenced me but it is definitely the first book that comes to mind when I think of a favourite book of mine. 2. I don’t know the strangest thing I have ever dreamed but I often have the dream where I am falling and then suddenly jolt and wake up (I think this is quite common). 3. I often express my feelings through listening to music or watching a film. I do like a good cry along to a sad film when Im feeling down haha. 4. My biggest ambition this stage is to complete my university degree in England with a good mark. Short term but still very important to me.
• ST-LIIA-G2-2
+ DL-LIIA-G2-1 Nice to meet you, DL-LIIA-G2-1. Answering your question, I’ve been almost all my life in Spain, but I’ve moved recently to Valencia to be nearer and save money from train and subway tickets. I’m glad to see your answers, they’re interesting. I hope you can get great marks in England and become whatever you want to! And I do cry too watching films. It’s so dramatic!
• DL-LIIA-G2-2
Hey guys! I’m sorry I’ve been a bit quiet this week- I’ve been trying to post but my messages have all been reported as spam !!
It’s really great to meet you ST-LIIA-G2-2! In response to some of your questions, my biggest ambition is to live and work abroad and learn a language, and I’m kinda half way there so I’m really enjoying this year!!!
To express my thoughts and feelings when I can’t do it aloud I keep a diary- it really helps me rationalise and keep on top of all of the crazy things I experience day to day!
I’ve been doing a bit of reading on materialism and consumerism, especially on the effect of the topic on emotions. Do you guys think there is a link?
What do you think the positives and negatives of materialism and consumerism are?
The articles I read where Quora: What is the relationship between consumerism and materialism?
And: Learning Mind- How Consumerism and Materialism of Modern Society Make Us Unhappy, Lonely and Unconfident.
• ST-LIIA-G2-4
Hi there!
My name is ST-LIIA-G2-4, I’m 18 and I’m from Mallorca. I’m studying English Studies at Universitat de València. I love reading and travelling. Moreover, I’m learning to play the bass and the ukelele, because music it’s one of my passions and I want to learn more about it. I also play the guitar.
Although, I love English and I thought about studying Classical Philology because I really like Mythology or cinema because I love watching films and sometimes doing sketches.
These are my four ice-breaking questions:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
What was your favourite trip? Why?
Do you like Greek mythology? Why?
If you could live again one moment of your life, what could it be?
• DL-LIIA-G2-2
+ ST-LIIA-G2-4 Hi ST-LIIA-G2-4 it’s really interesting to hear about your passion for music and mythology! At home in England I study Politics and Spanish and much of what I study for Politics is political philosophy so in that way I have an interest in Greek mythology as it is often closely linked to the Greek philosophers!
I think the best trip I’ve ever been on was to Singapore with my family because I was able to experience so many diverse cultures living harmoniously in one tiny country!
In five years time I have no idea! I will finish my degree next year and the next big step will be to find a job! I would like to work for an embassy, so maybe that’s where I see myself!
Now we’ve gotten to know each other a bit better, what do you think of the positives and negatives of materialism?
Also, Here are some articles I read: The Guardian: Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out. George Monbiot
Locating lifestyle: Materialism, Consumerism, and Social Media.
How do you think social media impacts our drive towards material objects and consumerism?
English Language IIB
Debate 2: Materialism and Consumerism
Owner:
L-LIIB-G2-1
Members:
ST-LIIB-G2-1
Discussion Leaders:
DL-LIIB-G2-1
DL-LIIB-G2-2
· L-LIIB-G2-1
FORUM debate 2/Materialism & Consumerism
Group Name:
Group members:
Discussion leaders: DL-LIIB-G2-1 & DL-LIIB-G2-2
STEP 1
Individually write and post an introductory paragraph about yourselves together with four icebreaking questions to get started. Make sure you answer some of the questions posted by the other members of your Google+ community.
· DL-LIIB-G2-2
Hey! We’re DL-LIIB-G2-1 and DL-LIIB-G2-2 from the University of Bristol in the South West of England. We’re studying in Valencia as part of our Erasmus year and really enjoying it so far! I (DL-LIIB-G2-2) study Politics and Spanish, and DL-LIIB-G2-1 studies Spanish and German.
What do you guys study and where are you from?
What is your favourite thing about Valencia?
What would you like to do when you finish your degree?
What made you want to learn English?
Please, introduce yourselves! We’d love to get to know you all a little more.
· ST-LIIB-G2-1
Hi everyone!
I’m ST-LIIB-G2-1 and I’m studying English Studies. I’ve always loved English language and literature so that’s why I chose this degree. As for the forum debate, I thought this topic would be really interesting to discuss since it’s a current issue in our society. So, here it is my contribution:
Materialism is an ever ending trap in which people live to work hard and then buy things while thinking that this will fulfill them in some way. And perhaps they’re right. Actually studies show that material goods and wealth increase our happiness and even more if we have something that others don’t. Without consumerism and materialism we wouldn’t have phones or laptops to even discuss in these sorts of debate forums. Bearing this in mind, consumerism doesn’t seem to be that bad. Something that makes us happy can´t be a bad thing. But if we take a moment to think about the influence of consumerism and materialism on us, we realize that we’re spending a lot of time of our lives thinking on just things, items, stuff; putting so much effort into fantasies about having this or that. As I see it, we all deserve self-realization and to live the way we want to live, having all what we want and can afford, but the way we are worshiping materialism in first world countries is incredible. We keep a lot of, sometimes useless, stuff in our homes that simply look nice or have some kind of memory behind it but then we still want more and more. We’ve become hooked on material world with every ad or commercial we watch. The more we are exposed to the media, the more we prioritize buying and keeping things. And all of this wouldn’t be a problem if it didn’t have any serious consequence into our society and our world but, in fact, it does.
Materialism influence the way we are and the way we live in society. That means that it can affect to our relationships and thereby affect to our well-being. I feel that materialistic people tend to be less empathetic and more competitive people, which leads them to isolate themselves. Even, studies show that people focus more on material things when they feel insecure. What do you think of this? Could the need for buying be linked to any kind of insecurity? Could consumerism and materialism be a way to improve our social image?
Besides, it would be also interesting to discuss about not just the personal effects of materialism and consumerism but also their impact on our earth. I’ve read a bit on how consumerism affects the quality of life on our planet and I’ve found out that in 2005 60% of the world resources were consumed by the wealthiest 10% of the population. What do you think of this huge inequality of consumption? Also, what effects could consumerism have on the earth considering that we are already extracting and consuming resources at an alarming rate?
English Language IV
Debate 2: Materialism and Consumerism
Owner:
L-LIV-G2-1
L-LIV-G2-2
Members:
ST-LIV-G2-1
ST-LIV-G2-2
ST-LIV-G2-3
ST-LIV-G2-4
ST-LIV-G2-5
ST-LIV-G2-6
ST-LIV-G2-7
Discussion Leader:
DL-LIV-G2-1
DL-LIV-G2-2
· ST-LIV-G2-7
Hello everyone!
I’m ST-LIV-G2-7, a nineteen-year-old girl whose ultimate goal —in terms of job prospects— is merging my passion for languages and my curiosity for human psychology as a future medical translator.
As the moderator of our group, I’ll try to keep the conversation going as smoothly as possible and I hope for everyone’s genuine participation in this thought-provoking topic: consumerism and materialism. Unavoidable and desirable for some, controversial and repulsive for others, this aspect of capitalist developed countries has permeated our lives. It’s not strange, consequently, that we find ourselves prioritising quantity over quality when we are tempted to buy mindlessly on Black Friday or other special occasions.
To what degree do you think that materialism plays a role in our consumption habits or, what’s more, in our personality traits and morals?
And how does it impact us, with regard to our sociocultural background and our planet’s environmental conditions?
Which individual changes can we adopt in order to overcome this tendency to accumulate unnecessary objects and stop this mindless behaviour?
Is it possible to build up a society with a healthier and more sustainable approach to consumption? If so, which measures would you take?
Any ideas are welcomed!
· ST-LIV-G2-1
Hello!
I’m ST-LIV-G2-1, I’m 20 years old and I study English Translation and I’m also studying Italian as a minor. I love learning new languages and discovering different cultures but what I like to do the most during my free time is travelling and, of course, reading books! Someday I would like to become a sworn translator.
Getting into the debate, materialism and consumerism are a huge problem that affect mostly of the world, concretely, developed countries. Nowadays, to a greater or lessent extent, we all suffer this condition. It is an undeniable fact that materialism is directly related with our consumption habits and, consequentially, with our personality and morals. Moreover, I considere impossible not to fall into this issue because of capitalism. Constantly, mass media encourages us to buy the latest products and waste our money without limits.
But, would we spend our money the way we are doing it right know if mass media and advertising wouldn’t exist? It is so difficult to find the line between what we really want and what they have told us to buy.
· ST-LIV-G2-2
Hi everyone!
My name is ST-LIV-G2-2 and I’m a 19 years old girl studying Translation in the University of Valencia. I’m thrilled we can speak out about a relevant and transcendent issue we must fight against as a 21st century society, materialism and consumerism.
With regard to the questions proposed by ST-LIV-G2-7, we can outline this is a big trouble triggered by first world countries, which are characterized by a high standard of living and a capitalist economy.
In the first instance, consumerism traces back to the 20th century and has its backgrounds on capitalism and the beginning of adversising. This harmful doctrine or lifestyle advocates for the accumulation of piles of goods and services not essentials. Besides that, consumerism also attacks the environment and natural resources.
After all, the point I’m trying to make is that materialism and consumerism should be understood as a pernicious lifestyile, which leads us to an apathetic and indifferent moral. And, however we look at it, it has become a massive problem to our society because of the rise of shopping of useless products.
And finally, don’t you think materialism is an issue we should crack down?
· ST-LIV-G2-5
Hello everyone!
My name is ST-LIV-G2-5. I’m 19 years old and I’m studying Translation in the University of Valencia. I have liked languages since I was a child and I have always found interesting the idea of helping people to communicate with each other.
In response to ST-LIV-G2-7’s first question, I have to say that nowadays, since capitalism is the main economic system in the world and it is dependent on people’s commercial transactions, it is an irrefutable truth that materialism plays an important role in our lives. It is common to see people from different ages buying things they do not really need. They sometimes spend money in that kind of things with the only purpose of being in fashion. This desire for following fashion trends is caused by the influence of advertising, which fills people’s heads with the idea that the advertised products will satisfy them.
However, a recent research shows that instead of making peolpe happy, materialism would damage their emotional well-being and could trigger diverse problems such as causing depression, anxiety or headaches. Moreover, it explains that materialism could get people in trouble with their relationships, which, the research says, are one of the things that truly make them happy. So it is clear that it plays a role in our personalities.
· DL-LIV-G2-2
Hey! We’re DL-LIV-G2-1 and DL-LIV-G2-2, the TAs assigned to this topic, from the University of Bristol in the South West of England. We’re studying in Valencia as part of our Erasmus year and really enjoying it so far! I (DL-LIV-G2-2) study Politics and Spanish, and DL-LIV-G2-1 studies Spanish and German.
What do you guys study and where are you from?
What is your favourite thing about Valencia?
What would you like to do when you finish your degree?
What made you want to learn English?
Please, introduce yourselves! We’d love to get to know you all a little more.
· L-LIV-G2-1
Forum debate 2/Materialism &Consumerism
Discussion Leader(s): DL-LIV-G2-1 & DL-LIV-G2-2
Group members:
ST-LIV-G2-1
ST-LIV-G2-2
ST-LIV-G2-3
ST-LIV-G2-4
ST-LIV-G2-5
ST-LIV-G2-6
STEP 1: Breaking the Ice:
– Write and post an introductory paragraph together with four ice-breaking questions. Make sure you answer some of the questions posted by your group mates and the discussion leader(s).
STEP 2: Initiating the Discussion:
– With the guidance of the discussion leader(s) assigned to your group, write 4 or 5 posts of about 200 words each during this month (try to write at least one post a week).
· DL-LIV-G2-1
+ ST-LIV-G2-5 Hi ST-LIV-G2-5, thank you for your interesting post and ideas surrounding consumerism. The article you have posted is particularly thought provoking and a great way to get this discussion going supported with material already out there.
I think that your point regarding young people buying things they don’t need, especially clothing, is very interesting and something I personally can relate to as I follow a few fashion bloggers and have bought items after seeing them wearing them. To what extent do you think bloggers influence people to purchase items nowadays? Do you yourself follow any bloggers or have any personal experience where you have bought something you didn’t really need?
· DL-LIV-G2-1
+ ST-LIV-G2-2 Hi ST-LIV-G2-2, thank you for your post and nice to meet you!
With regards to your point about consumerism in 1st world countries, do you think that consumerism only exists in 1st world countries or would you say it is a trait that humans have within them no matter where they live?
I also found your point about how consumerism harms the environment very interesting. I totally agree with you. Could you expand on this in anyway? How does it harm the environment?
In response to your question should we crack down on consumerism, I would say that it is not a pressing issue that needs solving in society. It is a problem and as shown in the article posted by ST-LIV-G2-5, has negative effects on relationships and mental health. However, in my opinion there are more important issues throughout the world that we must tackle before we focus on this. What do you think?
· DL-LIV-G2-1
+ ST-LIV-G2-1 Hi ST-LIV-G2-1 thank you for your post and nice to meet you. Since you mention you like reading I would like to ask what is your favourite book?
In response to your comment on how getting sucked into advertising and mass marketing is inevitable, I would have to say that I agree with you there. In today’s society there is so much advertising in the streets, on the tv, on social media etc that is is impossible not to be influenced by it in someway, even if it is subconscious. What do you think?
· ST-LIV-G2-3
Hello everyone!
My name is ST-LIV-G2-3. I’m a nineteen-year-old girl who is studying Translation at the University of Valencia. I love travelling, knowing about different cultures and learning languages, it’s a good combination! In the future, I would like to be an English teacher in a high school because I like helping people. This topic interests me because it continues to be one that calls my attention year after year.
To answer ST-LIV-G2-7’s first question, I would like to say that an impressive body of psychological research suggests that materialism, a feature that can afflict both the rich and the poor, is socially destructive and self-destructive. It’s associated with depression, anxiety and broken relationships. This research, along with many other investigations, shows that materialism plays a significant role in our consumption habits and, most predominantly, in our personality and morals.
Finally, I would like to answer the question posed by ST-LIV-G2-1. In my opinion, we wouldn’t spend money in the ways that we do currently if mass media and advertisements weren’t as prominent in our everyday life. The issue with both is that many people are manipulated by them. Many of the consumers think that what they are buying will make them happier, or even “cooler”, because they now own some of the same products or clothing as famous people. Having this mindset is potentially very destructive to the people who think this way. What do you think?
theguardian.com – Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out | George Monbiot | Opinion | The Guardian
Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out | George Monbiot | Opinion | The Guardian
theguardian.com
· ST-LIV-G2-4
Hello everyone!
My name is ST-LIV-G2-4 and, as most of you, I’m studying Translation. I’m 19 years old and I’m studying languages because they fascinate me. Furthermore, it’s not only the languages and the fact of knowing them what I like the most, but also their cultures and their histories. I wish I had more than one life to learn as many languages as possible.
Getting into the point of what you had commented on consumerism and materialism, I have an idea that I would like to share with you.
As far as I’m concerned, consumerism and materialism are just a mere creation of capitalism, they are quite significant but not as much as capitalism entirely is. They are the unbearable key of capitalism and it seems to fit us, consumers, perfectly. We as consumers are totally manipulated by it and we do not even realize. However, as soon as we defeat this key, we will be able to fall it down. In fact, maybe we have already cracked capitalism’s walls. For instance, BBC published an article in which punditry said that capitalism is having a crisis and that people cannot afford this kind of life anymore. In any case, I’m not really sure If capitalism is being taking down or if, instead, capitalism is breaking us down.
bbc.com – Was 2017 a bad year for capitalism?
Was 2017 a bad year for capitalism?
bbc.com
· L-LIV-G2-2
+ L-LIV-G2-1
Discussion Leader(s): DL-LIV-G2-1
Group members:
ST-LIV-G2-7 (Moderator)
ST-LIV-G2-1
ST-LIV-G2-2
ST-LIV-G2-3
ST-LIV-G2-4
ST-LIV-G2-5
· ST-LIV-G2-2
+ DL-LIV-G2-1
Hello DL-LIV-G2-1 and nice to meet you, too!
Firstly, I must clarify that I do not guess materialism exists exclusively in 1st world counties, but is the place where it has more power and where dwellers are more controlled by it. Even though we tend to associate materialism and consumerism to those countries, I also think it has unfolded to all over the globe. This is a poignantly fact because that means the entire world is under the effects of this massive trend.
Secondly, I would like to pore over how materialism acts. The problem of materialism and consumerism is that it begins when we confuse our priorities with our necessities, and therefore, we spread it to our acquaintances and family. Moreover, I agree with my peers that it can be traced back to the origins of capitalism and according to history, is an occurrence that is always bounded.
In response to your last question, I agree with you that there are more relevant issues that are needed of attention, but materialism and consumerism does too in a lower grade. This has its roots in overproduction and the power of the ruling elite. I guess a way to slow down overproduction could be to standardize the goods to citizens and I advocate for being realistic with what we need and what we already have.
· ST-LIV-G2-7
+ ST-LIV-G2-5, + ST-LIV-G2-3
Hi everyone! And nice to meet you, + DL-LIV-G2-1, + DL-LIV-G2-2!
As I have noticed in your posts, ST-LIV-G2-5 and ST-LIV-G2-3, some studies have already stated that consumerism doesn’t lead to happiness. In my opinion, this is very reasonable because our sense of fulfilment shouldn’t depend on material goods.
However, I find DL-LIV-G2-1’s comment about consumerism not needing an urgent solution very interesting. According to the article linked below, even though we may not be capable of identifying its immediate negative consequences for now, we should accept that, beneath the surface, there is a whole system in crisis called “materials economy”, which consists of five stages: extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. This commerce scheme relies on the extreme exploitation of limited natural resources, slave labour and waste incinerators that release high levels of toxic fumes into the atmosphere, among other problems. Therefore, I believe we shouldn’t belittle this issue.
Nonetheless, since it is nearly impossible to change the whole system by ourselves, what personal measures can we take to diminish the adverse effects of consumerism?
Conscious consumption and mindfulness are two of the most commented options: if we make an effort to recognise the actual value of our possessions, to become an informed consumer, avoiding these materialistic tendencies won’t appear that difficult. As + ST-LIV-G2-2 said at the end, we should be realistic about our needs.
Overconsumption is costing us the earth and human happiness | Environment | The Guardian
theguardian.com
· ST-LIV-G2-5
+ DL-LIV-G2-1
In the last decades, bloggers have gained in importance because of the expansion of social media, which has allowed them to share their opinions about different things with a wider range of people from all over the world with just a click. According to a research, 84% of consumers make purchase decisions after reading about items on blogs. In this way, bloggers can persuade people to buy items and, since fashion is ephemeral, that makes people spend money over and over.
I believe that many people prefer to be influenced by bloggers rather than by especific brands because bloggers are everyday people who point out the details of particular brands, whereas brands themselves just want to sell their products. I think that is the reason why some brands decide to pay bloggers so that they advertise their products. So, in response to your first question, I think that bloggers influence people to purchase items to a great extent.
With regard to your second question, I do not follow any blogger, but I have bought clothes after watching a singer wearing them. I think all of us have bought things we did not need.
Corporate Eye, 27 November 2014: »The Influence of Blogs on Purchase Decisions».
· DL-LIV-G2-2
Hey guys I’m sorry I’ve been so quiet this week- I’ve been trying to post but my comments have been all marked as spam because of the links I included!
I think the themes of senseless buying of clothes and the differentiation between first and third world countries is really interesting! The former something that I too identify with! Do you think that material objects play a part in constructing somebodies identity?
I’ve been wanting to ask how everyone thinks that materialism and consumerism can effect ones emotions?
What do you think the positives and negatives of materialism and consumerism are?
The articles I read where Quora: What is the relationship between consumerism and materialism?
And: Learning Mind- How Consumerism and Materialism of Modern Society Make Us Unhappy, Lonely and Unconfident.
· ST-LIV-G2-4
Answering DL-LIV-G2-2’s question – What do you think the positives and negatives of materialism and consumerism are? – in my opinion, the only positive effect materialism and consumerism have on dwellers is the idea of happiness this capitalism system has built. We grew up thinking that the idea of acquiring different products would make our lives easier and better by filling some voids about our lives.
In addition, I would like to add as a negative effect that, as you have already pointed out, capitalism affects in our habits and in our daily routine and, also, even in the way we love or in our conception of love. Capitalism builds us as consumers of everything, even people. It convinces us to buy things in order to own them and, in some way, it makes us think that when we love someone, we directly buy him or her and that person has to be ours, encouraging us to act as if love were money and people just products. Having said this, it’s clear that materialism and consumerism do affect our lives and do control our emotions.
Besides that, taking into account the same article ST-LIV-G2-7 alluded to – Overconsumption is costing us the earth and human happiness – I think we should take into consideration the concept of greensumption as a desirable solution. Consumerism and materialism do not only affect us but also our planet. We have to be aware of overproduction, slave labour and the sociological and psychological drawbacks capitalism provokes, among others. Greensumption is the idea of lessening the amount of products we are accustomed to buy, that is to say, to cut down on them. Moreover, we should consider having a system which promotes an ethical and ecological consumption as solution, as well as the reduction of consumerism.
· DL-LIV-G2-2
+ ST-LIV-G2-4 hey ST-LIV-G2-4, I think that your idea that materialism encourages happiness amongst people is interesting and I would definitely agree! Do you think this kind of happiness is sustainable? Or should we try and find another way to fill this void that we have?
Greensumption seems a great alternative to the consumer crisis we have today. Does anyone else have any thoughts on how we could possible solve the negative triggers and effects of materialism and consumerism?
· ST-LIV-G2-7
Hello, + DL-LIV-G2-2!
I think that some material objects play a significant role in determining our identity. For instance, books, which are material objects after all, provide knowledge that shapes our personality. However, in my opinion, consumerism and materialism do not only focus on material objects but on useless personal possessions, which isn’t necessarily the same.
I find + ST-LIV-G2-4’s comment on greensumption very interesting. Along the same lines, I would say that, in order to reduce the production, I can visualise two complementary options: citizens becoming conscious consumers, and enterprises implementing sustainable systems. The article “The rise of the conscious consumer: why businesses need to open up” shows a possible solution: incrementing the transparency of supply chains and changing business strategies. Furthermore, if both production and consumption decrease, the levels of pollution caused by waste incineration plants will too.
To encourage this, the government could stop financial support for those against innovation or, alternatively, subsidising those investing in new methods. If this happens, in all likelihood some products’ prices will increase (even though some products have are already inflated prices and those shouldn’t increase more). Nonetheless, as far as I’m concerned, this is an understandable sacrifice so that workers get fairly paid.
The rise of the conscious consumer: why businesses need to open up | Women in Leadership | The Guardian
theguardian.com
· ST-LIV-G2-4
Hello + DL-LIV-G2-2! I don’t think this kind of happiness is sustainable at all. In my opinion, the happiness materialism offers is an empty one, and I strongly think that due to that we are constantly feeling a sensation of lack. As I pointed out on my last comment, we are just filling voids, but when we fill these voids with materialism, in the meantime they are leaking completely out. Furthermore, I think that materialism offers an immediate happiness, and this doesn’t last enough to make us feel completed. What I mean is that we are constantly wonder what are we lack of.
Also, I think we should appreciate more what we have instead of desiring what we don’t. We should enjoy life in general, I know this could sound quite topical, but I think we are not conscious enough that we have just one life and that we should take pleasure in life instead of wasting our time, and materialism is definitely not the way.
However, I’m aware that rearrange or substitute this attitude is pretty arduous because it arise from materialism and we have been feeling this way for a long time. To sum up, there are a wide range of options we can decide on, but what is the most demanding is to erase what we have assume about materialism.
· DL-LIV-G2-2
+P I think this idea of conscious consumerism is a great way to try and relieve some of the adverse consequences of consumerism, especially considering that half of the time people are ignorant towards the damage of buying frivolous items. I think it would really change the attitudes of many to understand where what we buy comes from!
I also think it’s interesting that maybe this is an issue that should be discussed at a government level. What other measures do you think the government should take to prevent materialism and consumerism from becoming harmful to society?
+ ST-LIV-G2-4 I agree with your idea that we should focus on what we have, rather than what we don’t have! This made me think about the impact of social media on materialism and consumerism. Have a look at The Rich Kids of Instagram, they eternalise materialism and consumerism! This also made me think about when I dropped my phone down the toilet before Christmas! I was without a phone for three weeks, meaning that I had no access to the internet whilst I was out of the house. I have to admit that it was a really healthy break from social media, constant messaging and frivolous posts. I realised that after a few days I didn’t miss the material world at all and I was very relaxed.
How do you think social media impacts our drive towards material objects and consumerism?
Here are some articles I read: The Guardian: Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out. George Monbiot
Locating lifestyle: Materialism, Consumerism, and Social Media
· ST-LIV-G2-2
Hello, + DL-LIV-G2-2! I found your question about social media and consumerism very appealing and I guess it can trigger a deep debate!
First of all and in my opinion, social media are the main cause of consumerism because they are used as a key to spread the latest innovations, in other words, the play a meaningful role in this trend known as materialism. Getting into your question, when we use social networks, we place ourselves before innovations and newness and that encourages us to buy and acquire things which could make us cool and stylish. We want to have all the recent and modern stuffs, expecting to feel better with ourselves although it provokes a passing happiness, just the opposed sensation.
Another part to consider about materialism is that we are willing to push the boat out when it comes to be like the rest of society. We don’t care about where it has been produced or the conditions of the laborers. When we find out something brand new has been launched, we hope to have it in our hands as son as posible and we ignore if our godos are on good condition and if we need it or it is just a whim. That’s becoming a debate only accessible for hard-headeds.
· ST-LIV-G2-3
Hello!
As ST-LIV-G2-5 has said, bloggers have a certain effect, especially in young people, in the daily consumption of all kinds of products. However, I have to say that my personal consumption has never been influenced by bloggers or any other famous figure.
I agree with my partners that people often buy things that they don’t need, as ST-LIV-G2-2 has indicated, confusing priorities with necessities. I found very interesting the solution that ST-LIV-G2-7 proposed: adopt a conscious consumption and be realistic in order to differentiate between the things we need and those that we don’t. Also, as ST-LIV-G2-4 has said, it is important to appreciate what we have. The reality is that in most cases we don’t appreciate the things we have until we lose them, it is a pity!
There is a Spanish saying which reminds me a lot about this topic and summarizes my opinion about consumerism: “It is not richer who the most has, but who the least needs”. What is your opinion? I would like to know if you agree with that assertion.
Many years ago, people took care of the material objects that they had, and they lasted so long that they even passed from generation to generation. Nowadays, people buy new mobile phones every 22 months and computers every 5 or 7 years. What factors have led to such a drastic change? Well, the valuation of objects has decreased. This situation causes overproduction and, therefore, an increase in environmental impact. As my partners have said, the ideal solution would be greensumption, but to carry it out, we must first get society to better value what they have.
IM/MATERIALISM: The solution to many of our environmental problems is to value things more (CINDY MCMANN-MAY 17, 2015-ENVIRONMENT) The mindfulword
· DL-LIV-G2-2
I think it’s really interesting that you think that social media is the main cause of consumerism. In today’s society I would definitely agree!
However if we think back to when consumerism emerged in America after the war, thanks to the Ford construction line etc, what do you think drove consumerism then?
I also agree with the very sensitive point that materialism and consumerism has a negative affect on global human rights which we are all too willing to blind ourselves to. I read this rather radical article on the link: Pope Blasts Consumerism and Human Rights Threat, National Catholic Reporter.
I love your quote ST-LIV-G2-3 and think it’s really important to have a mindset like that to end the viscous cycle of consumerism and the void it can place on us achieving happiness! This makes me think of the rise of meditation and the increasing popularity of eastern thinking in the Western world.
Do you guys believe in the power and effects of meditation? Do you think that meditation could be used as a mechanism to quell our need for senseless material items and be happy with what we have already got?
I read this interesting article on the benefits of meditation: Scientific Benefits of Meditation – 76 things you might be missing out on by Live and Dare.
· ST-LIV-G2-2
Hi everyone!
In the first instance, I would like to point out my completely accordance with every quote proposed by my peers, and as ST-LIV-G2-4 said, we need to appreciate things more than we do currently. With regard to what ST-LIV-G2-3 has stood out about the power of influencers, I would like to state that I do not really care about them and all their new stuffs, because I guess it is a passing fad. I also agree with the fact that it is very meaningful to give things a personal value not for their cost but for their importance in our lives.
In response to DL-LIV-G2-2 statement about the power of meditation, I have to say that is a very worthwhile solution to consumerism and materialism. If we keep on standing around this issue, it will rise a day that materialism will completely dominate us, and not inverted. We need to pore over how we can break down this trend, and the best option is to care about what we need and what we want, so to speak, we need to include meditation and awareness. To my mind, the best solution is to phase out materialism so that the impact be less pernicious and we could harness the now age better.
· ST-LIV-G2-1
+ DL-LIV-G2-1
Hi DL-LIV-G2-1 and nice to meet you too!
In response to your question, I think I’m not ready to have a favorite book because I love a lot of them, but since I love poetry one of my favorites right now is Milk and Honey from Rupi Kaur. I’ll recommend it to anyone!
About mass media and advertisements I totally agree with the point that it can affect us in a subconscious way. Our society and all we see every day is surrounded by consumerism’s message, and not to into it becomes something almost impossible… I think we should have in mind ST-LIV-G2-3 said, how our feelings and emotions get connected to materialism. This is the main struggle that we have to fight in order to avoid our materialistic code of conduct.
After all, as ST-LIV-G2-4 said, capitalism system is the real issue and I found really interesting the BBC article about its recently falling. Between all the bad consequences that it causes, the environment is suffering most of them (hyper-exploitation of land, pollution, greenhouse effect..).
Finally, I think that meditation could be a great solution to our lack of real happiness. If we are able to stop and meditate about all the things we have and what we really need in life we will soon realize that most of the things that we need to be happy are not material.
· ST-LIV-G2-3
Hello!
These past few days I have been investigating how to solve individually consumerism and materialism problems. I found a lot of interesting things related to this which I would like to share with you.
As we have been commenting, people tend to buy things that they don’t really need so one possible solution to avoid it may be to use a 30-day list. It consists in writing in a list the things you think that you need and waiting 30 days to find out if you actually need it. If after the 30 days you come the realization that you do actually need said product, then you can proceed with buying it. Additionally, when you go to the mall you should enter only in the shops where you need to buy something and once you have finished, leave the mall immediately.
Furthermore, try to reduce the time that you spend watching TV or using the Internet because social media shows us a lot of advertisements which manipulate our minds and encourage us to buy products. You also have to give up magazines for ad-free books. If you can do that, you’ve gone a long way from being affected by the manipulation of advertising.
Do you think that this will work for people to solve this big and worrying problem?
How to Escape Materialism and Find Happiness (Wikihow)
A Guide to Escaping Materialism and Finding Happiness (Zen habits)
· ST-LIV-G2-5
Hello!
I find interesting what ST-LIV-G2-4 said about greensumption because it would encourage people to join to responsible consumption and would be a great solution to the problem.
In my opinion, with regard to what ST-LIV-G2-7 proposed as complementary options, one of whose advantages would be the decreasing of pollution levels, another measure that could be adopted is that companies inform about how their products affect us and the environment we live in so that we can decide if it is in our interest to purchase them or if we should take into consideration other options. That would bring companies to realise that if they do not change the way their products have an impact on our planet, the demand of their products will be cut down.
Moreover, I think that meditation could help to make us aware about what is actually important in our lives. Society judges us on our possessions and tags us, so we feel forced to play the »status game». That is why we need to realise that the things we own do not define us, but our actions and decisions do. In these times that it seems that we live in a hurry, taking time to reflect could really favour us and the future generations.
The Guardian, 23 April 2014: »Brands must embrace the future of fully conscious consumption».
Scott H. Young, August 2007: »14 Tips for a Less Materialistic Lifestyle».
· ST-LIV-G2-1
Hi!
Answering ST-LIV-G2-3’s post, I read it and I found it really interesting, the idea of a 30 days list could be a great start to have a less materialistic life. I think it could work as a solution because it will change minds individually, it would be like starting from the bottom of the problem till we reach the top of it. In the article you posted I also read that becoming more environmentally conscious could help, as we all mentioned in previous comments.
Moreover, I found an article about 14 tips for a Less Materialistic Life which encourages us to be less materialistic by filling the internal void with five points: relationships, passionate work, service to others, personal challenges and knowledge. Between all the 14 tips, I’d like to focus on the number 3 «Create a system of goals and challenges» to replace that uncomfortable filler, I think it would be an interesting point to put this in practice with the idea of the 30 days list. Also, taking a look into this article I read that the more you see relationships as possessions, the less intrinsic value you can get from experiencing them. Do you think that nowadays most people see relationships as possessions? Could this be a consequence of our materialistic way of life?
scotthyoung.com – 14 Tips for a Less Materialistic Lifestyle
14 Tips for a Less Materialistic Lifestyle
scotthyoung.com
· ST-LIV-G2-1
Hello everyone!
First, I want to say that this debate has been incredibly appealing to me. We need to discuss more often the issues that we suffer in our everyday life because it is a good way to learn that they are harming us. To talk about these problems with other people makes us become more aware of them and it is necessary to go against everything that causes a bad impact on our life. In this case, the issue has been consumerism and materialism and I have to say that it was affecting me much more than I knew, investigating and reading all your posts has opened my eyes.
In the end, materialism and consumerism could decrease remarkably with little changes in our life like meditation, the tips mentioned, activities to fill our void of real happiness… Greensumption is a great idea too. To sum up, in my opinion, the first thing we have to change to end this problem is our mind, and then we could stretch the change to the rest of the people.
· ST-LIV-G2-3
Hello!
First of all, I would like to say that this debate has made me realize how important is to reflect on current issues with other people. Well, the interventions of my colleagues have seemed very interesting and have made me see this serious problem from different perspectives. I encourage people to participate in the debates forum because it is a very enriching experience.
Before finishing, I would like to comment on a very curious case that I have read in an article. In a recent informal study of Boston-area college students, students were asked about how they felt about American consumerism. Almost all said they would prefer to be in a society that was less consumer-oriented, because consumer culture gives them headaches as it distracts from a quality life with their family and friends, it creates a «dirty» lifestyle that makes them and the planet sick or even it imprisons them in a life full of products and empty of meaning.
There were many things that came to my mind when reading it. The reality is that there are people who are not aware of this problem or even if they do, they don’t want to solve it. In contrast, there are others like these young people who want to put aside consumerism but don’t know how because they are immersed in a culture that encourages them to do so. Well, the key is to start making personal changes that lead to a simpler, more sustainable and cooperative life.
I hope, we all find the best solution to end up with this problem or at least we may help people with our tips. Thank you!
Consumerism and its discontents (truth-out.org)
· ST-LIV-G2-5
Hello!
First of all, I would like to say that I am glad that I have participated in this activity. Not only the information I have used for my posts has enriched my knowledge about the topic, but also my classmates’.
Answering ST-LIV-G2-3’s post, I agree that the 30-day list could be a good idea for deciding what to buy, and I see your point in leaving shops once you have finished purchasing what you needed, but the problem is that, even if we go with the items we want to buy in mind, in many shops, the marketing people decide to change the sections where the products are exposed in order to confuse us and makes us think: »I was looking for another product, but, since I am here, I will take this one as well». In that way, it is hard for us to focus only on the products we thought we were going to buy at first.
In conclusion, after all, it all depends on our power of will to seek information about the problem and to try to make little changes in our consumption habits.
· ST-LIV-G2-4
Hi again everyone!
I find your posts quite engrossing. I would like to remark some options you mentioned to instigate people to reduce their consumption. They are enabling ways to deal with overconsumption.
To start with, I strongly think that to lessen consumerism and materialism we have to defeat capitalism, as I have already mentioned in another post. Capitalism has a huge hindrance and it is the fact that is a system. I mean, it is unshakable due to the fact that is a rooted system, not a new one. It is, as we have been commenting, in our daily routine and it affects in all ways possible.
Having said that, I think that the first step we should make is, as you have already mentioned, to reduce it individually. What I mean is that neither the media nor government are going to do something about it because it benefits them, so the more efficient way is to be concerned and aware and to defeat it individually.
The ways you mentioned are quite suitable to face capitalism individually – and as a consequence consumerism and materialism-.
Moreover, in my opinion, 30-day list and the tip ST-LIV-G2-1 mentioned –Create a system of goals and challenges- are really thought-provoking. They are riveting options to take into consideration to start off with. In addition, I think that after diminishing our consumption individually, the next step is to inform and educate other people, especially children, in order to change this capitalism society from inside out.
· ST-LIV-G2-7
Hello, everybody!
As I am the moderator, I would like to write the last post summarising all of our ideas and highlighting the best solutions suggested.
First of all, as it has been said, there is strong likelihood that overproduction, mass media and fleeting fashion trends are to blame for this senseless overconsumption. Furthermore, I believe we all agree on the fact that consumerism and materialism affect our lives considerably: they make us unhappy, trigger depression problems and damage relationships. What’s more, they foment extreme exploitation of natural resources, slave labour and pollution.
Therefore, it’s evident that a solution is needed. It would be highly beneficial if the government or the companies themselves adopted measures that promoted ethical systems. However, since there is no guarantee that this will happen, we can take action individually: choosing greensumption over mindless consumption seems to be the greatest option suggested. After all, greensumption or, in other words, conscious consumption requires all of those little actions mentioned before: making lists, lessening our exposure to mass media, learning about the products we buy, reducing our stay in the mall or trying meditation so as to find fulfilment and happiness in a life full of meaning, instead of a life full of material goods, as ST-LIV-G2-3 said.
Finally, I would like to say that this discussion has taught me new perspectives and information I didn’t know before. It has been really absorbing and enriching!