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AGE IN THE FIRST
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TO KEEP THE STOCK PRICE UP , THE COMPANIES WE SHOP FROM IGNORE THE BITTER IRONY OF A CHILD IN THE THIRD WORLD SEWING TOGETHER THE SCHOOL UNIFORM FOR A CHILD THE SAME
It ’ s hard to see how we might decrease our dependency on the consumerism drug . It ’ s not like there ’ s rehab for a bad H & M habit , and it ’ s not like we can put the entire population of Europe and North America in there . The problem is , that the economic good weather that got us hooked on buying stuff as children has left us appalled at the thought of ever going back to leaner times . For the economy to grow , more goods and services need to be bought . Governments want economies to grow and are very happy when they do , hence the smug grin on Tony Blair ’ s face for most of the last decade . Hence , they are more than happy to let us keep on exploiting the third world and keep being conned into spending our money on crap we just do not need .
The problem with human nature is that greed is inherent . We are always wanting more . We want the country to be richer , us to be richer , our lives to improve , our surrounds more comfortable and our food more plentiful . A step in the opposite direction seems wrong , somehow . The only thing thinkable that reverses this trend that I can think of is our technology . In the 21st century , less can do more . Think of everything that your iPhone has replaced : an address book , a calculator , an MP3 player , a camera , a camcorder , a notebook , a map , an alarm clock . The list is pretty endless .
Obviously you might still have a camera as well as a phone , but the idea of having one advanced , multifunctional thing to replace fifteen smaller , crappier things might be what eases us away from the insane overconsumption we suffer from . Technologies like the smartphone may be just the nicotine patch our shopping-addict generation needs . This idea is spreading through technological circles , and in a way is seen to be spreading to the world of fashion . For those with good fashion taste , the days of blowing £ 200 on a trip to Primark on crap you ’ ll wear once seem to be subsiding . For those in the know , less is more is the new mantra .
People who can afford to are now seeing through the high street ’ s constant tirade of ‘ pile them high , sell them cheap ’, and are stretching the budgets to buy fewer , more expensive , better qualities items . It ’ s how Vivienne Westwood , one woman environmental crusader , has rationalised her business in the face of hypocrisy claims . And she ’ s right : it ’ s better for you , your wardrobe and the planet if you stick to classic staple pieces . The retail sector is seeing this mantra hold true , with the two most profitable areas of fashion being economy and luxury , with big business premium labels like Burberry and Michael Kors setting the business papers alight with record profits . Who said saving the world couldn ’ t be chic ?
There are many who say that we should be able to eschew this principle and continue our addiction unstopped , and rely on recycling to clear up our mess for us . Although recycling techniques are more advanced than ever , the fact remains that we still need to use energy to turn waste into something useful . Old diet coke cans don ’ t just magically transform into car bodywork , it ’ s a energy-hungry industrial process that does as much harm as good . Technologies like the smartphone may be just the nicotine patch our shopping-addict generation needs . To reuse and recycle can help ease the pain , but the only true way to avoid shopping ourselves into oblivion is to embrace the future . The old motto of ‘ less is more ’ has never seemed so relevant .
HERE ’ S SOME NOT SO FUN FACTS ABOUT THE CONSUMERISM DISASTER THAT ’ S COMING AT US FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BMW : - In 1900 , a total of $ 1.5 trillion was spent by public and private consumers . By 1975 it was estimated at $ 12 trillion . By 1998 it doubled to $ 24 trillion . It continues to grow rapidly . - 20 % of the world ’ s people living in rich countries account for 86 % of total global consumer spending . - The US and Canada , with 5.2 % of the world ’ s population , are responsible for 31.5 % of consumption . South Asia , with 22.4 % of the population , is responsible for 2 % of consumption . - The average African household today consumes 25 % less than 25 years ago . 1 In 2005 , China used 26 % of the world ’ s steel , 32 % of rice , and 47 % of cement .