Materialism and Consumerism. There Are Some Benefits to all Our Technological Gadgets, but Are We Going Too Far?

Madonna's famous song Material Girl is a comment on materialism and consumerism (lyrics below). She wants to meet a rich man so she can buy the things she really wants. Is this song a comment of our times and our ever increasing greed?

Materialism or consumerism are the terms given to the purchase of goods and services by consumers in an ever increasing amount. That's right, we keep increasing our consumption. This really shouldn't be a surprise with new products introduced almost daily, especially when it comes to technology products.

Since the 1980's our consumption has increased with the introduction of personal computers and credit cards along with a large amount of new products introduced into the market every day. Globalisation has had much to do with this increase as well.

The introduction of the Internet has revolutionised the way business is performed and the way consumers buy and sell products. Technology has grown at such a fast rate consumers will update mobile phones and computers in months not years.

Take the Apple iphone as an example, it was only introduced in January 2007 and Version 4 was just introduced in June 2010. Four versions in 3.5 years? What was so bad about Version 1 that it needed upgrading so quickly?

The latest version of the iphone also had a technical problem with its antenna but this didn't stop consumers lining up overnight outside Apple stores to buy it when it was launched.

Other companies, such as Blackberry, LG, Nokia and Sony Ericsson, have followed with their own versions of 'smart phones', similar to the Apple iphone. These are phones with internet connectivity, touch screens and virtual keypads.

In the race for our dollars, the manufacturers of these technical goods update their products regularly and with competition so fierce, prices become more competitive, which means more consumers will buy more phones.

Materialism and consumerism is ever expanding in developed nations and is even increasing in some emerging nations whose economies are expanding. Countries such as China, Korea, South Africa, Brazil and Kenya are embracing consumerism with as much fervor as their western counterparts.

Buying just the necessities, which was the norm prior to the 1950's, is a thing of the past and ever since the '50's a greater number of people have had the means to purchase luxury goods as well as the daily necessities. Being frugal is very passe. Is this progress or are we just becoming too reliant on technology?

Material Girl by Madonna

Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me
I think they're O.K.
If they don't give me proper credit
I just walk away

They can beg and they can plead
But they can't see the light, that's right
'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash
Is always Mister Right, 'cause we are

Chorus:
Living in a material world
And I am a material girl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl

Some boys romance, some boys slow dance
That's all right with me
If they can't raise my interest then I
Have to let them be

Some boys try and some boys lie but
I don't let them play
Only boys who save their pennies
Make my rainy day, 'cause they are
(chorus)

Living in a material world [material]
Living in a material world
(repeat)

Boys may come and boys may go
And that's all right you see
Experience has made me rich
And now they're after me, 'cause everybody's
(chorus)

A material, a material, a material, a material world

Living in a material world [material]
Living in a material world

Before the 1980's computers were not part of people's homes and phones were not mobile. This is unimaginable to anyone born after the '80's as our lives have become ever more portable.

It is interesting to note that with the recent Global Financial Crisis, various Governments (30+ countries) implemented 'Financial Stimulus Packages' to encourage consumers to spend and (hopefully) stop countries falling into recession. This strategy has worked to some degree however the GFC is still a major problem facing the World today.

In this recent case, materialism and consumerism were encouraged as consumers were given funds to spend more and keep economies going. Retailers were extremely happy and their extra profits proved this initiative worked in some countries.

Do we really need everything we buy? Maybe we should look at the good old days of the '50's and slow down a little. Not only will it help our finances, it will also help the environment. Where are all the discarded products, especially the tech ones, going?

In the 1990's approximately 20 million computers were discarded in the US alone and by 2005 that number had grown to in excess of 100 million. Given there are a lot of toxic elements inside computers, what actually happens to this waste? Most of it ends up in landfill which means all the chemicals (lead, mercury, arsenic, etc) end up leaching into the soil. How long can this practice be sustained?

There are companies who are voluntarily recycling their products and either reusing the parts or recommissioning the existing product and sold as used. This is solving part of the problem but there is a long way to go.

Suggestions of making products with a longer shelf life are met with comments from manufacturers of the end product being too expensive. If the end product lasts longer just how much more expensive would it be to the consumer? It seems some companies focus more on their end profits.

More people are spending their income on electronic devices than on any other product. In Australia alone there has been a 53% increase in spending on computers and other electronic products. Only 1.5% of income is actually saved, if at all. The current spending trends have to slow down to avoid massive debt problems in the future.

Consumerism is a necessity if we want economies to keep going but how much is too much? If consumers keep spending at such a fast pace is anyone really going to benefit from an expanding economy if it is not sustainable? We need to stop being defined by what we have and start being seen for who we are and what we do.

On average a person spends approx 6 hours a day on some form of electronic device - internet, TV, or games. We have become used to being constantly updated through the media and to many people under the age of 30 it is normal to spend time 'socialising' online rather than actually meeting up with family and friends.

One parent suggested to her family that they have an 'electronic device free day' and spend time doing something together. Her teens were up in arms about the mere suggestion of such a thing.

Anyone who owns a computer which is connected to the internet will be on it every day, something which takes time away from face to face interaction with family and friends. For the generations born before 1980 this is a sad scenario but for generation X or Y, it is just the way they do things these days.

The environment and our finances are the losers when it comes to upgrading our computers and phones, it may be time for individuals to think about this next time they feel the need to upgrade.

Note: When I started researching this topic I found many articles on the topic online but found most of my useful material in three articles in my local paper, The Sunday Telegraph. Materialism and consumerism is in the news on a regular basis and it doesn't seem to be slowing down our insatiable appetite for electronic goods. The three articles were Australian-based but they all reflected how the World now relies on technology and many people, especially teens, do not want to live without it, even for a short time.

Ironically, although some of my research came from newspaper articles, the rest was from online sources. Without my trusty computer this article would not reach so many people. That, my friends, is globalisation.

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