Hello and welcome back to my blog! My Inquiry question for semester one is, “How does overconsumption affect our lives, and are we enticed by companies advertising, to buy more?”
I chose to do a topic regarding consumerism as I am extremely interested in the psychology behind corporations advertising, and how we are affected by consuming so much stuff, mostly things we don’t even need. Especially in this day and age with online shopping being so prominent, I’m curious to see the impact made by a vast amount of companies.
Within this upcoming Inquiry project, I will be exploring all about consumerism, and the affect it has on our daily lives. I will be digging deep into the science behind marketing, psychological aspects, on top of the cycle of consumerism. It is very common for people to simply get rid of items they find no longer beneficial while using the term, “I’m just going to throw this away.” We say this phrase so often that we forget where these products end up, mindlessly thinking they will just be recycled. Although, most of the things we “throw away” end up in landfills along with millions of other peoples waste as well. This is very unfortunate as we, unknowingly, are the source of major issues, being fed by the appeal of materialism.
One aspect worth consideration within this project will be the role that major companies play in this dilemma. All businesses number one goal is to maximize profits. Knowing this, I’m curious to see what extent they will take this to, even if it means deteriorating our environment. Along with the businesses, the fast paced nature of social media also helps with spreading the message of new trends, and things we find “in” at the moment. This subject matter also is a major contributing factor to the consumerism we see happen on a daily basis.
Overall, this Inquiry question intrigues me to learn more about consumerism as a whole, and how it impacts our environment. With millions of online retail sites, it makes it extremely easy for people to buy products just with one click of a finger. Many people feel even more encouraged to buy things because of this, and end up spending money on items they don’t even need. I find the idea of this concept fascinating as so many civilians find themselves in need of products, something I believe is overindulgence. Throughout this project, my goal is to uncover the tactics companies use to advertise the items they sell, the consumerism cycle, and how much of a toll overconsumption is taking on our surroundings. I will also find out how we, as a nation, can try to put an end to this corrupt pattern of materialism.
Thank you very much for reading, and I hope that this topic relates to a characteristic of your life that you find important!
–Vanessa Vukovic
