Reflection: The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

This article was absolutely eye-opening for me, and made complete and utter sense.  Of course consumerism is deeply rooted in culture; in our norms, values, beliefs, traditions, etc.  It all makes sense.  As I was reading this article, not only was I astounded (and horrified) by the facts and statistics, but I couldn't help but think of my own consumption and how my own personal beliefs, values and traditions had shaped my levels of consumption.

Growing up, my parents NEVER recycled. I thought it was weird that all of neighbors recycled, but never us...my parents were just not concerned.  Our air conditioning was always kept at a comfortable 75-76 degrees (which meant it was running all day in our 95 degree Florida weather) and we always brushed our teeth with the water running.  Naturally, these same customs became a part of my own personal belief system, and I don't recycle, my air is always kept cold and I still brush with the water running! Am I proud of this? Not now! Especially after reading this article.  

My mom has been telling me since middle school that I need to get a college degree and get a good paying job so that I can live the "American Dream"--to me that means large house, nice car, and any amenities I could wish for. I've always been concerned about making enough money, and I would be lying if I said that making money wasn't one of my ultimate goals in achieving a college degree; however, every now and then I am plagued by a thought: what if, at the end of the day, I've achieved a great job that pays great money, but not a meaningful life? The article mentions that an annual survey of first year college students shows that being well-off financially has trumped developing a meaningful life...and sometimes I worry that I've fallen into this category.

The article also mentions that it will take decades of hard work to change the attitudes and beliefs of our current culture of consumerism, and I can see that this is true, just by examining by own day-to-day life.  It would take hard work and a level of commitment just for me to start recycling and trying to lower other levels of my consumption (such as water and air conditioning)--so trying to get an entire world to change is going to be a monster of a job. Where do we start??