America is founded on consumerism.
It all began during World War I, when companies employed propaganda-like tactics to persuade the public to buy overproduced products. The result was a sudden transformation from a needs-based to desire-based culture. In the following decades, advertisements became less and less straightforward. Today, nearly every aspect of our culture is engineered to make companies money. From the sponsored ads on social media to the products used by our favorite TV characters, we are being trained to be consumers.
While consumerism fuels the economy, it is also a primary force destroying our planet.
But it is so very ingrained in us. It is shown in who we follow, and repeatedly thrown at us by commercials and celebrities. The Kardashians are only one example. Though research has shown there is no connection between possessions and happiness, many Americans keep trying to capture a feeling. But, unlike the boxes of cereal from our childhood, happiness is not a hidden object and will never be a prize that comes with yet another purchase.
Until college, I did not recognize this dangerous trend. It took an assignment on the clothing industry in a recent anthropology class to open my eyes. When I think of pollution, my mind goes to oil spills, cars, and plastic. Honestly, clothing never crossed my mind. The apparel industry is the second most threatening industry on the planet next to oil. The manufacturing of clothing uses up valuable water and other necessary resources while liberating harmful chemicals.
In what is commonly called “fast fashion,” clothing has become disposable. When trends change, often so do our wardrobes. The unsustainable clothing fills piles of trash that continue to grow around the world. Consumerism is destroying the environment.
As the prices of clothing grow cheaper at stores like Forever 21, the correlating wages of workers are impacted. Along with the negative environmental factors of the clothing industry, most clothing available to young people today is made in countries that fail to pay their workers living wage. Living wage is the wage necessary for basic survival in a given area. By purchasing clothing from stores that mistreat their workers, we are unintentionally supporting the continuing poverty of thousands.
It is unacceptable that people are putting their lives on the line for a meager wage while making the clothes we wear daily. As a member of perhaps one of the most economically fortunate countries on Earth, it is our responsibility to support those who are suffering to make the clothes we take for granted.
After talking with my classmates and staring into my closet, I’ve decided to stop purchasing from brands that assist in this devastating pattern. I no longer want to encourage the actions of certain brands by supporting them. As someone taking action to reduce my footprint, I’ve determined that I will make it my goal to buy secondhand and fair trade. My love of Forever 21 will never dissapear, but like a bad relationship, I've had to let it go.
Buying secondhand is an easy way to reduce the effects of the apparel industry. While elements of consumerism continue to impact every aspect of society, I hope your eyes will open to the significance of it all. By focusing on what we need rather that what we desire, it is possible to help our dying planet in a small but meaningful way.
