Fact: We live in a society driven by compulsive consumerism.

Fact: We are all affected by it, whether we realize it or not.

Consumption is defined as the using up of a resource, and a consumer is a person who purchases goods and services for personal use. It’s interesting. If you Google the word consumer, a list of synonyms appears under the definition: purchaser, buyer, customer, shopper.

Consumption has been an aspect of human culture since the beginning of time. However, it hasn’t always been the type of consumption that is synonymous to a customer or shopper. Consumption in early human culture was typically food and necessities, certainly not the American-style consumerism we are bombarded with every single day. Where is the disconnect? When did we become so material-possession driven?

“Excessive consumerism has become the albatross that hangs around the necks of the modern world.” – David Bruno

I recently read a novel by David Bruno called "The 100 Thing Challenge." It was actually a really inspiring account of Mr. Bruno, a pretty everyday guy, who decided to cut the crap out of his life and lead a life of simplicity. He got rid of all of his personal possessions (just to clarify, this didn’t include shared items among his family – only possessions used by him solely) except for 100 or fewer items. When you think about it, it seems like 100 personal items is a lot! Now that I am thinking about it, I have literally no concept of how many personal possessions I own. That’s terrifying to me. I am only seventeen, and I too am trapped in stuff, for lack of a better word.

I know I personally have work to do. I will be getting rid of the excess stuff that is filling my life, and working to take a stand against compulsive consumerism.

Watch David Bruno’s TEDx talk about the 100 Thing Challenge here, and check out his blog here.

Educating myself about this mindless consumption we face as Americans has really made me step back and think about how we are fed these ideas every day: advertisements, sales, catalogs, media. They all try to convince us that just one more purchase will make us happy! One more purchase will give you these really awesome abilities! One more purchase will make people like you more! One more purchase! One more purchase! One more is all you need…

When you really step back and think about it, though, do any of these possessions give you any real fulfillment? What (quite literally) consumes most of your life, maybe besides work or school? Is it the desire to acquire more? What do you do on the weekends or in your free time? Head to the mall? Go shopping? I mean I get it, what else are we going to do? Spend time with family, go outside, and enjoy life? God, no! That’s not the type of society we as Americans are raised in.

Not to mention, that all of this over-consumption is posing the greatest threat to the wellbeing of our planet. All of this crap is adding up and destroying the planet. We are obsessed with convenience in society, and we don’t even consider what even went into the item we are using. Maybe it’s the energy or other natural resources. Maybe that tee shirt came from a factory that is dumping pollution and exploiting workers in a third world country. That’s the stuff we don’t even think about.

Consider these stats:

• There are over 300,000 items in the average American home.
• 1 out of every 10 Americans rent offsite storage.
• While 25 percent of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32 percent only have room for one vehicle.
• 3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally.
• The average American family spends $1,700 on clothes annually, yet throws away 65 pounds of clothing every year.
• We consume twice as many material goods today as we did 50 years ago.
• Americans spend more on shoes, jewelry, and watches ($100 billion) than on higher education.
• Shopping malls outnumber high schools, and 93% of teenage girls rank shopping as their favorite pastime.
• Women will spend more than eight years of their lives shopping.
• Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on nonessential goods.

I don’t know about you, but I happen to find those facts pretty insane. Really, I just find this whole idea of a physical possession motivated society pretty insane. I would encourage anyone who shares my feelings to rethink the stuff in your life, educate yourself about this compulsive consumerism, and take a stand against this psychosis of stuff – cut the crap!