Synthesis Essay: The Role Of Materialism In American Society

American citizens live in one of the richest and most fortunate countries on the planet. Yet, our society struggles with a stunning lack of appreciation for what we have. Even with an abundance of material goods, we’re always looking forward, always wanting more. This materialism, or obsession with material objects, remains an immense problem in American society. Materialism clogs rivers and countrysides with waste, uses up resources that could be better utilized elsewhere, and gives Americans a mindset that will hinder their happiness.
The environmental side of this issue is extreme waste. Wendell Berry discusses the fields and rivers he lives by, now trash heaps overflowing with “not only disposable containers, but also with broken toasters, television sets, toys of all kinds, furniture, lamps,” etc. One of the main causes of all this waste is manufacturing companies who smother their products in layers of plastic, paper, and cardboard, which ultimately ends up in a trash heap. However, it is not the manufacturer’s fault alone. “Our wasteful problem is not the fault of only producers. It is the fault of an economy that is wasteful from the top to the bottom -- a symbiosis of an unlimited greed at the top and a lazy, passive, and self-indulgent consumptiveness at the bottom at the bottom-- and all of us are involved in it.” (Source 4)

We shop to practice decision-making… We shop to remind ourselves how much is available to us.” While it may be true that shopping can be a form of therapy, recreational buying is a selfish and shallow-minded practice. If one’s habit is to turn to shopping every time they are bored or unhappy, not only are they going to buy more products and further the problem of materialism, but they are going to spend more money. Recreational shopping, although a substantial part of American culture, has a very negative effect on the