Consumerism and I

Consumerism crawls into our lives. Or did we allow it to crawl in?

Belinda Ang (Facebook): Sometimes, I feel very tired of consumerism. We stop looking beyond the surface of things & what genuinely touches the heart. We need to get back to basics... And see each other for who we really are.

When I read the update on Belinda's Facebook profile, it was in-sync with what I always felt. That, consumerism is well alive even as countries look to subject companies to more ethical selling and transparency. Whenever someone speaks to me about consumerism, I will certainly describe it as excessive purchase of materials beyond one's needs. Sometimes, that also means stretching one's finances beyond manageable margins.

I, for one, never really like consumerism. No doubt some of the existing marketing campaigns did hit me on my soft spots in creating that awful desire, I had to step back many times and cool myself down before I purchase the next big dust-collector in my household. But, such is the power of marketing and advertising these days, countless brands are more than capable to create the need even if the need does not genuinely exist.

There is this thing about consumerism that I detest absolutely. The persistence in comparing who has the trendiest and coolest dust-collector is inevitably one of the core driving nodes that fuels consumerism. Consumers begin buying things that they don't really need all in the hope of staying on-par or ahead of their friends. But, that's the way our society had become, isn't it?

Consumerism, how the brands, marketers and bankers love it and how some others like me dread it. Even through the recent financial hiccup, consumerism is still well alive and kicking.

It's about time everybody sit down and reconsider the kind of propaganda we are pushing hard on consumers there days. In particular, the creation of elitism among brands. On a corporate front, I can understand the importance of shining bright among the competitors. For the consumers however, that can also means driving the elitism through consumerism. It is true that I will never fail to link consumerism with elitism. And in elitism, breeds the lack of humility and the erosion of our traditional values cultivated since thousands of years ago.

Am I free from consumerism? Absolutely not. I still want to purchase that thermoelectric cooler/warmer for my fishing cum camping trips. I still want to purchase that Donzi 38 ZSF that skims on top of the water at more than 50 knots, way faster than the Police Coast Guard can catch up with. I still want to enjoy a little luxury with that Eureka screener tent to hide from the sun. The truth is, nothing gonna change even if I own none of these. That's about it. These are wants, not needs.

I really wonder what the next few generations will be like. Take a look in Singapore, you will find that there are more and more young executives digging themselves into bankruptcy in their early 30s. For the really adventurous, maybe in their 20s even.

Therefore, consumerism is indeed materialism. Shame on us that many of us still find ways and means to debunk the claims of materialism. People judge you from what you wear, people judge you from what you drive, people judge you from what you use, people judge you by what you eat, so on so forth. Heck, I still love my S$2.50 char kwey tiao in the kopitiam. Wait, do you still remember what is a kopitiam?

Will it ever change the way we live our lives? I doubt so. Will we see a day that consumerism embarks on a freefall? I doubt so even more. When US is so insistent in "changing the world" by exporting its consumerism culture across the globe while screaming "buy local", you know how serious they are about consumer protection and transparency. And, US is not the only country at it.

I'm beginning to feel, the wealthiest people are probably the ones with the least material possessions. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. I don't even know what I am talking about anymore at 4.34am. I ought to be in bed but I am still surfing the internet for my next fishing gear purchase.

Bahhhh... but at least I know how to catch a fish to feed myself hokay?