"Consumerism is why we are where we are. Consumption simply means “to use up”. We’ve become users and like the saying goes – You are what you eat (or use). The problem with living in a culture of consumption is that your value is attached to the money you make or that can be made off you.
This is why America hates the poor. My heart hurts every time I see someone shame a person asking for money. I hate the way we shame and yell at poor people like we’re better. But that’s the culture of consumption we live in. A poor person doesn’t make money, which is the biggest shame we impose on them.
The culture of consumption we live in is also based steeply in manipulation. It plays on basic human needs to make a profit. What do I mean by basic human needs? Things like
-Respect
-Pride (or self-worth)
-Dignity
-Connectedness (or community)
These are not just values folks. They are not just desires. They are needs, something essential to humanity like air, food and water. Advertisers and marketers know this. So what do they do? Make commercials and ads that say “You are nothing and you are nobody unless you______.”
-Dr. West