enssay consumerist

CENTRO COLOMBO AMERICANO TRANSLATION PROGRAM SEMESTER 1

TEACHER: ROGER CASTRO ENGLISH CLASS

ESSAY TOPIC CONSUMERISM AND GLOBALIZATION.

BY JESUS PATRON DORIA

…CONSUMERISM IS KILLING EVERYBODY… ´´if y! "#$% &#'!() y!$*) #% +i,i#-´´ Norwadays the economic system makes available to people all kinds of  products and consumer goods, from the basics, such as food or clothing, even the most bizarre, like caps that can hold soda cans. Consumption as a concept does not refer to anything bad or harmful. We can define it as simply consume to satisfy needs or desires. The problem comes when this activity becomes pathological. Then we no longer speak of  'consumption', but of 'consumerism'. The panish !oyal "cademy #!"$% defines consumerism as &the immoderate tendency to acuire, spend or  consume thinks, not always necessary.& The welfare model of modern society is based on possession and accumulation of goods, which serves as a (ustification for proliferates consumerism among people. )f the goal of life is to have a lot of things, the main activity is benefiting is logically consumption. *ossession and accumulation of goods tends always be immoderately, as pointed out by the definition of the "!. The term seems to be an ad(ective immoderate too sub(ective. What is to be an immoderate consumer+ ow many i*ods have to buy to consider it something immoderate +. The definitions of the !oyal "cademy stand out as being ob(ective and rigorous, so, including immoderate ad(ective in the definition of  'consumerism' may surprise you. The !"$ defines moderate as to avoid e-cess, so immoderate for it is something that does not. )mmoderate use of the ad(ective is e-plained with the following uestion To what e-tent do we need what we buy+ )s our consumption necessary for our  lives+ $verything that is consumed without being really a need can be seen as an e-cess, in so far e-ceeds the basic necessities of life of an individual. o, say that the current consumption is immoderate and is not sub(ective, but has become something ob(ectively true we all consume immoderately, because we consume too much. We do not need everything we buy. /ost of our purchases are e-cesses that seem to us necessary. We need what we buy to the e-tent that we self0convinced #or convince us% that the product in uestion will help us to be happier and live better. )n that sense, the consumer society with the individual's principal activity i s consumption. 1or many authors who defend the consumer society reflects a high level of  socioeconomic development, manifested in the increase of income of each individual. They also believe that this type of society based on constant consumption gives people the opportunity to buy goods and increasingly diversified services, and that contributes to improving the uality of life and produces greater social euality, and that many individuals who can gain a lot of  products that, according to the thesis defense system, will contribute to their  much better and happier lives.

Thus the main argument for the defense of the consumer society is based on consumption contributes to improving the uality of life of people and helps societies to develop. What pro0consumer authors forget that there are many who can not consume in this ideal society where people can buy anything they want, because the main reuirement to en(oy the consumer society, modern and developed, is to have money. )n today's society there are still millions of  poor, even in developed countries that can not participate in the consumer  society.  "lthough perhaps not as important to involve, as consumption today can not be understood as an activity that allows people to survive. The main feature that differentiates mass consumption as we know it today the traditional consumption in other periods of history is the goal that motivates people to consume. )f before it was consumed to cover basic needs #food, clothing ...%, currently most of the consumerist activity aims to meet the wishes of consumers, who considered necessary goods they demand. 2ne of the features of the economic system and the current consumption is that it creates artificial needs. Through constant advertising and other techniues, convincing and trap people in a vicious cycle of consumption, which is very difficult to get out once you have entered. 2nce inside the 'circus consumption', a host of products, ads, offers and possibilities appear before the eyes of the individual who, overwhelmed by all those lights, sounds and images, you feel unable to avoid buying any of the products he has before him. 2ften even the false need created seconds after  seeing for the first time a product. ee it in the shop window and realize that it is essential to continue walking down the street. ow am ) ever lived without this +3 " few weeks later, the ob(ect in uestion will be forgotten in a trunk, or  perhaps spoiled and thrown away. )n short, the phenomenon of consumerism increasingly depends on the desire of necessity. 4ut the current consumption not only aims to cover needs or satisfy desires, also serves to distinguish people together, showing even more the social class system that forms our society today.  "s we discussed, it is only necessary to consume one thing to have money. 1rom there, it all depends on the amount of money that is available. " more money, more products. 2r again, more money, more e-pensive products. The more e-pensive a product is less people can possess. This basic rule e-plains the class system. Not the same skirt the neighborhood store a Chanel dress, therefore, is not the same as the woman wearing that skirt the dressing gown. They are two different women. 5ifferent socially.

4ut although the dress is the feature that differentiates outwardly, actually the differential factor is money. The amount of money. While that can not see or  know with certainty, it can be deduced, among other things, the way they dress. That is why the woman has more money decided not to buy the skirt neighborhood store #could do%. )f you had bought that simple skirt and had been wearing on the street, no one could have known how much money you have in reality. To show how social stratum is, thanks to his money, the woman bought possibilities Chanel dress. "nd so, as you walk down the street, there is no doubt about their position. $veryone can see that she is different from others. )t is more than others. With the e-pansion of consumption by different social echelons, this reality e-emplified with the skirt and the dress is also observed at levels far less opulence and wealth. )n the same middle class of society #even in some sectors of the lower class% and we observe the same behavior among people who, although they are socially and economically similar, try to differentiate themselves through the products they consume. o the young neighborhood that has a bigger bike is better than that is smaller, or you can wear trousers 6evi's is more than wearing sweatpants. )t is also better to have the latest model of sunglasses, and carrying a large mobile phone. Thus, one of the functions of the individual consumer is to provide ways to distinguish themselves from other groups of different social level. Companies and brands know this, and offer their products as e-clusive and uniue pointers. 7iven these clever advertising, it is easy to give in to the temptation to be the girl or the most e-clusive neighborhood uniue guy, and pointer. The funny thing is that, in an effort to distinguish themselves from others by purchasing ob(ects and seemingly uniue products, people in this modern society, fall into the parado-ical situation that more and more similar to each other. With the consumption of unbridled mass is moving towards a progressive loss of personal identity, since citizens #which actually are no longer 'people', but 'consumers'% respond to consumer models idealized by marketing techniues effective. That is, there are a large number of people who consume feeling special and they really are part of the same social group, in which all individuals have a behavior and a similar culture. The panish consumer middle class has the same habits as consumers of  )talian middle class, and both seem increasingly to his fellow 4razilians, 8oreans and audis. They consume the same brands of clothes, listen to the songs of these teen idols, lead in the same helmets ears music, use the same mobile phones and watch the same movies in the cinema. Cultural globalization can be considered really a Westernization. $ven mired in economic, political and social crisis, the West is still the center of the world,

especially in terms of culture and consumption is concerned. )t is born in the West where brands and companies that sell their products around the world. !eturning to the homogenization that fosters the fact massively consume, add another interesting point consumption connotes socialization. To the e-tent that an individual is recognized with certain brands, it is recognized with other  consumers of these brands and is distinguished from others who are not like him. The customer of a brand of sunglasses tend to find more affinity with people with these glasses, as consumption is part of culture, and in this current society all those who are eual in their consumption habits can also be considered eual in their culture. Thus, new cultures are created as a result of the products consumed #mainly by the type of clothes that dress or type of music heard%.  "lso, consumption, in addition to meeting basic needs, serves as aspirational. *eople want to be something else. "nd this is not achieved always wearing the same pants or always having the same T9. There is always the possibility of  taking a new and better product, and as is possible, there is also the desire. ociety is e-pressed through consumption. "s we have said is not enough to fill a need. Currently with consumption should get other benefits, such as recognition in a social group. )f you are thirsty, you can drink water, but there are many more options that water to meet that need. The market offers hundreds of drinks and refreshments. "lthough they are more e-pensive than water, it too simple and easy to consume in public good becomes. )t is better to buy a can of soda to forward to others as active, young and modern one is. The water does not transmit any value. commercial drinks itself. o, the people have come to become a materialistic, consumerist and highly competitive society. Competitiveness is also reflected in consumption, as the fact of buying each year a mobile phone or a new bag does not respond to a real need, but a desire to be better #or appearing to% in this world in which we live . 2ne who only have a coat, or living in an apartment can live in a villa, is considered a loser. 4ecause it is much better to have a full wardrobe of coats and (ackets to wear a different one every day. )t is better to have two cars that one. :ou better change your phone for the latest model, which always live with the same mobile. )t is better to return with bags of shopping mall to return empty0handed. )t is better to have many things to be (ust enough. )n conclusion ) would like us to make a reflection about what we are doing with our consumer attitudes because all our attitudes are related to everything else, everything goes in cycles inter0related since all its dynamics gives stability and They make everything serve for something or damages something. ince in this life nothing is free, everything has a cost. What cost want to pay for your  spending habits+

who does not eat is not en(oying life to the full because, today, to live is to eat;..