Consumerism and Design
Thanks to the work of Edward Bernays, advertisers now have incredible control over people’s desires. Adverts tap into our subconscious and make us feel as though we need unessential objects. They appeal to our emotions, rather than reason, and become a status symbol — like having the very latest iPhone even though your one year old phone works perfectly well.
Although in western society there is a breakdown in class barriers, with many now being able to afford designer goods, across the world as a whole there is an even greater gap. The richest 1% of the world now have more wealth collectively than half of the rest of the planet (Neate, 2017). In order to reduce the cost of these luxury goods, cuts had to be made further down the line. This leaves the workers who make these items and harvest the materials can end up in extreme poverty. However, for most, they are out of sight and out of mind.
The Man by Steve Cutts is an eye-opening animation which holds the mirror up and makes you look at exactly what this consumerist culture is doing to our planet. Our incessant need for “stuff” is overshadowing the real problems we face. The instant gratification we get from shopping will never solve deep routed issues as consumerism only brings temporary joy, not long-term happiness.
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Neate, R. (2017). Richest 1% own half the world’s wealth, study finds. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/nov/14/worlds-richest-wealth-credit-suisse [Accessed 4 Oct. 2018].
