“Life shouldn’t be printed on dollar bills.” This quote from Clifford Odets reminds us that life should not revolve around money and status. Life is so much more than that. This quote can’t be more relevant, especially in a world we live in, a world where material things equate to validity, which is an issue we face at present. In the social sciences, materialism is a philosophy that places a high value on objects, usually considering them more valuable than experiences or personal relationships (White, 2017). This kind of thinking plagues the way young individuals build relationships, which may bring about adverse effects.
According to Tim Kasser's research, it is proven that a materialistic mindset is often linked with having a more competitive, manipulative, and selfish relationship with others and having less empathy, which causes social and self-destruction. Materialistic behaviour may arise when a person feels miserable or worthless. They may decide to purchase expensive goods to gain more attention and feel significant among their peers. This type of thinking often leads to comparison with others, which will eventually cause unhappiness. In this case, when one experiences low self-esteem, it fosters the desire to possess material goods that we often deem as a measure of success. However, when those material goods fail to fulfil our expectations, dissatisfaction and the continuous desire for more material possessions enter the equation, leading them into serious debt in pursuit of their objective. Furthermore, people with a materialistic mindset tend to experience unpleasant emotions such as depression and anxiety, which leads to them experiencing physical health problems like stomachaches and headaches and lesser satisfaction in life.
At this point, you may ask, “what makes people materialistic?” The Conversation states that materialism is a natural part of being a human. People often lean on their materialistic side to help them cope with situations that bring them anxiety and insecurity, like poor relationships with family or fear of death (Awanis, 2018). For instance, all of your friends have already purchased the new iPhone model, and you don’t want to be left out, so you bought one too, even if your phone is still usable. You suddenly acquire the thinking that since they have it, you need to have it too. This can be closely associated with materialism coming from a place of insecurity. An individual who’s insecure aims for acceptance from peers and is most likely to be materialistic.
Nevertheless, this materialistic thinking can still be stopped or lessened as years go by. Reducing materialism should start within ourselves. We should think twice before we purchase a product. This will make us ponder on what we want versus what we need. In doing so, we will not make the mistake of purchasing more goods that are not, in fact, essential. Furthermore, we need to practice gratitude. A study from the University of Illinois affirmed that gratitude improves security, well-being, and generosity, which lessens one’s urge to find comfort and happiness in material goods (Khan, 2021). Moreover, diverting our attention to building our self-esteem through building relationships and pursuing interests may also prevent us from being materialistic. The more we focus on these things, the more we realise that happiness does not equate to material possessions.
As the youth continues to rely on material things for validity and happiness, underlying implications of it will affect us in the future. Eventually, young individuals with a materialistic mindset might put less importance on building relationships with the people around them and more importance on material things, leading to unhappiness and dissatisfaction in the future. There is no doubt that our fight to end materialism in youth is far from over, given the state of our society today. However, it’s not impossible. In a world where material things are deemed as a counterpart of happiness, it is a must that we keep in mind what Jesse J. said: “Money can’t buy us happiness.”
Sources:
Awanis, S. There’s no shame in being materialistic – it could benefit society. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/theres-no-shame-in-being-materialistic-it-could-benefit-society-89996
Esade - Do Better. (2019). 8 reasons why children grow up more (or less) materialistic. Retrieved from: https://dobetter.esade.edu/en/materialism-children?_wrapper_format=html
Kasser, T. (2016). A psychologist explains why materialism is making you unhappy. Retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/2014/12/24/7447727/materialism-psychology
Kasser, T. (2014). What Psychology Says About Materialism and the Holidays. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/12/materialism-holidays
Khan, G. (2021). Why too much stuff can make kids unhappy. Retrieved from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/why-too-much-stuff-can-make-kids-unhappy
Miljeteig, R. 7 Reasons Why You’re Materialistic When It Doesn’t Make You Happier. Retrieved from: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/7-reasons-why-youre-materialistic-when-doesnt-make-you-happier.html
Monbiot, G. (2013). Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out. Retrieved from:
San Diego State University (2013). Growing gap between teens' materialism and willingness to work hard. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130501131837.htm
Walton, A. G. (2018). Encouraging Gratitude In Kids Reduces Materialism, Study Finds. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2018/10/20/encouraging-gratitude-in-kids-reduces-materialism-study-finds/?sh=7cfcfe7649d0
White, D. (2017, July 3). Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Study.Com.https://study.com/academy/lesson/materialism-material-culture-definitions-examples.html
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