In today’s consumerist society, advertising and media has more or less convinced the everyday working man that certain purchases are completely “necessary.” Branding in social media has psychologically tricked consumerists into believing that owning goods from specific producers is desirable. For example, upon the announcement of Apple’s Iphone 5 release date, many current Iphone 4S owners were already making plans to trash their phone. It’s perfectly understandable for an individual to want to own the “newest” and “trendiest” products, however at the expense of what? A completely functional phone? 500$ dollars’ worth of hard earned cash? This cycle of buying, purchasing, buying and more purchasing reflects the utterly excessive spending habits of today’s generation in more economically developed countries. Sometimes, I can’t help but question what drives us to live in excess given the sacrifices our parents have made to always provide us with all that we need. Even I fall victim to the buying and spending cycle constantly, only to find myself writing this article as a poor first year student, slightly repulsed by my desire and impulse driven purchases of completely unnecessary items, at the expense of my parents’ hard work.
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