Consumerism and Me

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Within the last one-hundred years consumerism has changed drastically. Attributed to the advent of advertising and product branding, modern day consumerism has shifted from being primarily “need” based, to being “want-to-need” based throughout the western world. Luxuries like shoes, clothes and home electronics aren’t even thought of as luxuries anymore, but they have made their way over to the list of thing we “need” or “must have”. Reflecting back on the various essays we have read for class, has really made me evaluate what type of consumer I am and has definitely made me more aware of the trends that I follow. In his essay “A Brand by Any Other Name”, author Douglas Rushkoff makes reference to a “phenomenon” known to retail architects as “Gruen Transfer,” a type of paralysis experienced while shopping (p.103). Simply put, it is the almost paralyzed state of trance that some people experience when trying to decide which product (i.e. shoes, clothes, electronics, etc.), best suits or represents them. In his essay, Rushkoff painted the picture of a boy in a shopping center, standin...

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