“The Religion of Consumerism and Moral Decay in the Modern World”
In the modern world, consumerism has reshaped societies and left in its wake a trail of moral decay. As humans we are notorically weak, and we buy all too quickly into the “must-have” and “must-have-more-than-others” ideology, thereby sustaining the system. The symptoms of this decay are everywhere: the commodification of human relationships, the erosion of family structures, the loneliness epidemic, the neglect of the elderly, the normalization of legal and illegal drug consumption, and the glorification of morbid entertainment. In this new world, the soul is an afterthought, and the only metric of success is money—whether in your bank account or as a nation’s GDP.
But at what cost?
The Cult of Consumerism
Consumerism has become the dominant ideology, a belief system that equates happiness with possession. The most profitable and honored doctor is no longer the healer of the sick but the plastic surgeon, making women look like characters from dystopian movies of the 70s. This creates even more insecurities, perpetuating the cycle of consumption.
The Collapse of Social Structures
The rise of consumerism has coincided with the collapse of traditional values. Loneliness has become an epidemic, as people retreat into their screens and virtual worlds, disconnected from the communities that once gave their lives meaning. In Japan, some youngsters want to marry robots.
Drug consumption, both legal and illegal, has skyrocketed, as people seek to numb the pain of their empty lives. Pharmaceuticals are doled out in ever-increasing quantities, while illegal drugs are considered “cool” by young professionals.
The so-called “developed world” is now a place where the most grotesque forms of entertainment are celebrated. Reality TV shows, where contestants eat cockroaches or endure humiliating challenges fo that viewers can “escape” their empty lifes. A testament to the moral vacuity of a society that has lost its way. Not to mention that everything is sexualized, from advertisements to women’s clothing.
But in the end, nobody seems all too happy. So how come this system is still around?
The Neoliberal Ideology and Its Global Reach
The ideology of consumerism is partly a consequence of misunderstood neoliberal economic thinking (why misunderstood? Read here!), which prioritizes free markets, deregulation, and the relentless pursuit of growth. This is taught at all renowned universities. Even though economics is a social science, and what they believe to be 100% true changes every 30 years, currently, these ideas steer the boat. The upper middle class doesn’t want to seem stupid and repeats their dogma and eventually, these ideas become “common sense.” “Get rich or die trying,” the rap song tells us. We are spammed by never-ending advertisements. And we should be willing to relocate anywhere for a better “career.” And yes, of course, all women should be working full-time; the market will raise the children with competing kindergartens…
To put it in the words of systems theory: people shape society, and society shapes its people. I’ll give you an example. The British economist Malthus claimed in the 18th century that if you paid workers more, they would have more children, and due to the following increase in workers, their misery would only increase. So as soon as the theory sticks, a factory owner wanting to increase wages is suddenly frowned upon. “Hasn’t he heard about the Malthusian trap? Why does he want to increase the misery of the working poor?”
Something similar has happened with neoliberalism. It’s severly flawed, but currently, voters in “developed” countries believe it, so politicians stick to it, and so on.
But there is yet another reason why neoliberalism has spread so far:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank impose free-market morals on developing countries with little regard for the social and cultural values that are sacrificed in the process. (I mean, fair enough, nobody else would lend to them at better conditions, except occasionally the Chinese, which the West calls “neo-colonialism”—but that’s another story. Maybe it would be better to let them go bust and let the next government try to do better, instead of prolonging a never-ending nightmare of policies being implemented without any democratic backing.)
The Middle East, with its oil wealth, has been somewhat insulated from these pressures, allowing it to preserve some of its cultural traditions. But even here, the forces of consumerism are making inroads, as global capital seeks new markets to exploit.
The Need for a New Metric
So how is it all these short-comings are not included in economic decisions? The problem lies in the way we measure success. GDP, for example, the sacred metric of the neoliberal world, tells us nothing about the well-being of a society. It does not account for the strength of families, the health of communities, or the state of the environment. What if we were to create a new metric, one that measured well-being in terms of “wellies”? Perhaps this would be something neoliberals could grasp. (There is the World Happiness Index, but somehow it’s not usually included in economic models.)
The Power of the Consumer
Ultimately, the power to change this system lies in the hands of the consumer (aka your hands). Every purchase is a vote, a statement of values. If we continue to nod in agreement with critiques of consumerism while eating at McDonald’s and buying the latest gadgets, we are complicit in the system’s perpetuation. To truly resist, we must use our power as consumers to shape a new economy, one that prioritizes human well-being over corporate profits.
