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Consumerism

December 14, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Jasen Obermeyer

Our economy is based on consumerism, material goods. It’s amazing to think of how much we spend on things, and what we spend on. Things that are essential, like toiletries, clothes and food is understandable. It’s the “wants” that are a little more difficult.

I’m not a socialist or communist, I just think there needs to be a bit of a balance. I believe in quality over quantity, but it’s tough.

Today’s world of consumerism has really gotten out of hand. Follow the breadcrumbs and they will lead you to advertising. It is no secret that advertising is engrained in our daily lives. Driving on a highway, it seems every kilometre there are big billboard signs advertising something for you. Infomercials are rampant. Ads on YouTube are persistent and annoying. 

Advertising has become more aggressive, bombarding us every day with products for us to purchase with our hard earned money.

Take sports, for example. Sports arenas used to have fun, meaningful names related to the team (Maple Leaf Gardens) but now are named after the company that won the naming rights (Scotiabank Arena). At least Air Canada Centre, or ACC, had a bit of a nice sound to it. And now, the Arena is just decked with ads. On the boards, on the ice, it really irritates me. Conn Smythe would be appalled at what he’d see. 

Look at video games; their aggressive consumerism has quickly picked up over the last few years. Just buying a standard game costs $90 now. That’s more than I spend on gas in two weeks. You want the limited edition? How about the deluxe, or legendary one? Fork over an extra $30 to $50. Before up until I’d say the early 2010s, when you bought a game, it was ready. Now, games come with Downloadable Content (DLC) to finish the game. 

The worst by far are micro transactions. Now in competitive, multiplayer games, you can buy perks, weapons, and skills for real money, not fake in-game currency. This came to a blow last year with Star Wars Battlefront 2, with consumers finally taking a stand, and the Belgian government investigating whether it constitutes gambling. I’m proud to say that I’ve only ever bought one DLC – $6 on sale – and have never succumbed to micro transactions, because I know I’m being taken advantage of.

A friend fully admits to falling prey to advertising and consumerism. His room is packed to the brim with TV shows, memorabilia, action figures, video games galore, and almost every known gaming system. Not only that, but he has two or three of the same console! The worst part? He has close to 1200 video games, and has only played or beaten around 300. I look and think, “If you didn’t have even half the things you do, how much money would you have?” 

Another friend might actually be worse. He may have fewer things, but what he owns is just as expensive, if not more than my other friend. I don’t know how many times he bought and returned Star Wars Battlefront, losing more and more money. First he bought an Xbox One, sold it a couple years later, got a PS4, sold it within a year, got a new laptop, has bought and sold multiple Airsoft Guns, a couple ATVs, it’s crazy.

I’ve always been one to save. If I get a movie, CD or video game, I actually use it.

Now to be fair, I’ve lost the battle against consumerism more than once. Days where I’m online looking up something letting it take over me, giving me an urge, almost like I need my fix.   

Christmas time is when consumerism is in full swing. We’re hammered with advertisements on products that suddenly become tied to Christ-mas (Coca-Cola is the best-known one). 

Not only can you spend thousands of dollars in presents, but also on food. From turkey to finger food, snacks, chocolates and treats, it’s crazy thinking how much we consume, both in our stomach and wallet. And of course, the lights and decorations can be a little much. I would love to know how much Clark Griswold’s hydro bill was.

Christmas shopping in those crowded, always busy malls is stressful. Christmas is a time for joy and fun, not extreme commercialism. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. My family and I decorate our house, with some lights outside and on a tree in the back, a Christmas tree and little decorations scattered inside our house. But it’s not about buying things; it’s about the birth of Jesus. And for those who don’t believe or celebrate that aspect, it’s a time of being with the ones you love. 

Don’t loose sight on what Christmas truly is. Don’t let consumerism ruin it or bring you down, and become Charlie Brown. Think about the Whos and what they did. 


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