My generation has turned into a giant machine of consumerism. Perhaps as a result of genius marketing. Or the excessive comparitive power of facebook, comparing our lives with those of our friends. Or, just the fact that we have plenty more at our disposal.
Take for instance, the story of my ipod. It works perfectly well, plays video and holds 4GB, which is enough for my music needs. The moment a newer, slicker, faster, ergonomically designed, ipod with a greater capacity is released - I want it. Don't know why. I can afford it, so why not?
Or, the story of my brown and white striped, fabric couches. They are functional and very comfortable. But, I've had them for near a year and a half. I'm itching to upgrade to leather. Red, preferably. To add a dash of colour to my lounge. I live with other males, so it's practical to have leather, rather than fabric. It's the wise choice. Huh? Wise choice?
My flatmate brought a drum set home the other day. His opening, exuberant statement when he lugged the boxes out of the elevator was, "Guess how much I saved?" My response was a cold and calculated, "No, tell me how much you spent?"
There's a lot going on behind the simple act of purchasing an expensive product, like a car, an iphone, a home theatre system. The consumer is subconsciously calculating their perceived value in society based on the possession of the item. To break the cycle is really difficult. The key to this rampant, spend-use-throw-spend cycle, I feel, is minimalism. Live simply. Drop the excess. Warren Buffet's example of possessing enormous wealth and yet, living simply, is a powerful statement to my generation. We have lessons to learn.
The problem is not the high cost of living. It's the cost of high living.
