"A thirst that cannot be quenched!"
A start my EWOT Goggles with this fascinating quote I found in a video, which I attach the link right below, that I found when researching about this topic.
Consumer Society
Why did I came up with this?
This week I was talking to one of my family relatives through Skype, my 17 year old cousin. He seemed upset by something that i didn't know so I ask him what happen. He tells me that 3 months ago he spent all of his savings to buy the new BlackBerry Device launch in my city in order to have the newest. He told me that for the past 6 months everybody in school looks at his phone and loves it because he actually waited for the newest version and bought if that same day. Now the problem is that 1 month ago a newer version was launch. Obviously he had no money to buy the cellphone since he already spent all of his savings. He said people stop paying attention the his cellphone and started looking at the latest one. He was so upset since he wanted the new one so he manage to get a loan from a friend and bough the latest version. Now what happen is that they just announce on TV that a fascinating version is coming next month. My cousin had his first cellphone a couple of years ago and now that he follows the dream of always having the latest one he realize is something he could never accomplish and will never end. is "A thirst that cannot be quenched" because "He is chasing shadows".
This two quotes have conclude in the shortest way what is happening to not only to my cousin but also to millions of people out there.
Technology has made our society a consumer society that we should never stop buying. If I have to quote something would be...."Today's technology is the new version of the bulb obsolesce"
Our society now will never be completely satisfied with what it has because soemthing newer, better and faster is out there.
I have realize how people can really become upset and how they are willing to do everything to get the newest version, like buying with money you don't even have......
We are all victims of a consumer society!!!!
Link to the Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QEwPfy0N4g
maybe we're victims of our own unlimited desires, and our need to be better/have more than everyone else. If we were all content with certain lasting things (for example, seeing a sunset, or playing kids), we wouldn't be victims of a consumer society. And if we were all a bit more prudent, we might decide to save more for later instead of buying now.
ReplyDeleteThat said, this consumer society has created enormous wealth for the human race. Even with the simplest transaction: what have you learned about gains from trade? Not only did the seller benefit from your cousin's purchase, but your cousin clearly valued the phone more than the savings (though, apparently, he wasn't aware of his long-run desires).
Perhaps your cousin would have been better off saving his money (because money makes money...did you know that if you saved $3 a day, you would have $100,000 by the time you're 40?). But either way, he is better off than the kid who needs to find a computer in order to get on the internet, or a landline in order to make a call, or paper in order to write a letter.