by Kentrell Copeland

Consumerism has become one of the defining characteristics of modern American society. From the moment people wake up, they are surrounded by advertisements encouraging them to buy, upgrade, and consume. No one just goes to their kitchen to make coffee and get to work anymore. No, it has to be the most exquisite and fanciest coffee with the most elaborate name. So that when you arrive at work all of your coworkers will be interested in what you have. Now the $15 coffee defines who you are to all of your coworkers. What you buy becomes an extension of the self, personality and represents the identity of the individual. The ideology that personal happiness and success are measured by material possessions has deeply shaped American culture. This constant pursuit of more—more clothes, more gadgets, more status—has created a cycle of desire and dissatisfaction that fuels the economy but empties the spirit.