Compulsive shoppers, or shopaholics, have in recent years been spotlighted on television programs and women’s magazines. They have become topics of conversation in the realm of pop psychology. While the media sometimes uses the term loosely or in an off-handed manner, a true shopaholic shops out of compulsion, making purchases long after they are over their heads in debt, shopping when they are feeling emotionally distressed and they do not shop because they merely enjoy it.
Without a doubt, we live in a very “spend-happy” society. As a whole, we are living above our means and many of us are drowning in debt. Many people, no matter their level of income, view shopping as a hobby. They take weekend-long shopping excursions, spend money they do not have, and often regret their purchases the next day. Most people tend to spend more than they earn or have because with the luxury of credit cards they may do so, purchasing items of a thousand dollars or more and only paying a monthly minimum as low as five dollars a month. What they don’t realize is that the thousand dollar item collects interest and by the time it is paid off they have spent two thousand on the item! This is where the feeling of regret comes in. After the shopping spree, most shopaholics feel that they may have spent too much money and the realization of debt begins to settle into their mind.
Shopaholics use shopping as their “drug” or “therapy”. When feeling emotionally down or depressed some compulsive shoppers think buying a nice Gucci purse can put a smile on their face. They feel it will make them happy and it does temporarily. It acts as their therapist, making them feel like a better person.
Shopaholics don’t merely shop because they enjoy shopping. They shop because they feel they HAVE to have something. They truly believe that item is a necessity they must posses. A true shopaholic will only stick to brand names such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Versace, and Christian Dior, the list goes on.
Shopping is not simply a chore; it is also an experience. Shopping for clothing is a particularly personal decision, and various motivating factors can cause one shopper to choose a particular store over another store. Some consumers go to the store to confirm that they belong to a certain social stratum, others because they enjoy the thrill of a bargain. According to Daniel Miller in ‘Making Love in Super Markets’, the behavior of consumers in supermarkets tends to fall into two categories: ‘treat’ shoppers and ‘thrift’ shoppers.
Have you ever felt like you are spending too much money at a time, on pointless items? Statistics show that American’s consumption rate of goods has increased by forty-five percent in the last twenty years (Statistics-Consumption/quality of life pg. 194). Americans are experiencing a thing that is many times known as “Affluenza”, this is when someone buys more items, such as clothes, cars, houses, or any unnecessary items. Many people talk about this so-called “Affluenza”, like it is a medical term. The word Affluenza is pretty much saying that people make money and work hard for their money and they like to buy nice things, because they can and they have the money to. They are fortunate enough to be able to have these nice things for themselves because they work so hard for it. Many Americans are not satisfied with their positions because of false ads, selfishness, and jealousy. Some celebrities, some of the wealthiest people on the planet have committed suicide because they are not happy with what they have and they feel like they need more items, when really they have everything they need to be happy, but they suffer from Affluenza and make these bad decisions.
1. The main idea is not only that owning stuff is not the key to happiness, it’s also that consumers today own more than they need to thrive which directly impacts the environment. Hill illustrates the environmental impact by showing statistics of global warming today versus the past century, and how consumerism is leading to a hotter climate. Hill debunks claims of buying happiness by discussing a study where stress hormones spike to their highest when people are managing their personal belongings. Hill’s most prominent example that consumerism is not the answer is himself, as he discusses some of the most stressful times of his life being right after coming into a large sum of money and buying whatever he fancied. When Hill concludes his article, he states that “I have less—and enjoy more. My space is small. My life is big” (213).
This past month I made my last visit to the popular teenage/college student retail store Abercrombie and Fitch. Finishing up some back to school shopping, I was on a quest for jeans, and I knew the place to get them. My last two favorite pairs were from Abercrombie and Fitch, and I was planning on buying the same kind once again. Happy and relieved that I would not spend the afternoon ransacking the mall for one pair of jeans, I entered the store to the pulsating beat of techno dance music. In front of me was the teenage Mecca of what is truly hip -- the first thing I noticed were the life-size pictured that covered the walls -- half-clad muscular and glistening young men, frolicking around with pouty faced but beautiful young women who were wearing either size 2 short shorts with bikini tops or 3 layered sweaters. The tables were covered with overpriced shorts, shirts, and sweaters, strewn about by desperate customers searching for the perfect outfit. The sales people who roamed the floors were definitions of cool themselves -- ranging from age 16-22, they modeled their employee discounts in a haughty way which encouraged the customers to strive for their ultra-hip look. And strive the customers did. What was the most noticeable upon entering the store (besides the blaringly loud music which made me wonder if I was at a clothing store or a dance club) were the herds of desperate young men and women, who seemed to range from age 12-25, strutting around the store and searching for anything that had the name A&F on it. I can only imaging how many nights of baby-sitting it would take some of these eager teenagers to buy one sweater. The young custome...
In today’s culture, consumerism is what defines it. Americans perplex the difference between wants and needs. Retailers constan...
There are many people who are driven by consumerism, and many people who wish they could get in touch with that type of world. Consumers are often encouraged to advertise more of the products that they are buying to get more people to buy more products. Hari Kunzru, author of “Raj, Bohemian,” creates a narrator who is obsessed with maintaining his individuality and free will in a world that is overcome with consumerism. Believes that the world takes away individuality when consumerism comes into play and how hard it is to maintain their true self. In her LA Times article “Teen Haulers Create a Fashion Force,” Andrea Chang writes about the phenomenon of teenage YouTube users who make videos that publicize their latest shopping binges.
Why did I choose to write about workaholics? The main reason is that the general picture about these people is bad, but there are a lot of them around us and very often we admire them. They are doing exactly what they love – work – and they can never have enough of it. Although they spend most of their time working, surprisingly they are happy. They show so good results in what they do. But the consequences are great. Family life is disrupted, intellectual horizons narrow and the consequences to the workaholic's health are severe: fat, lack of exercise and stress. Why do people become workaholics? When a person becomes workaholic is there a way back? How should people around him act in order to keep both him and themselves happy? Lets start explaining what workaholics are, how they act and then we'll get answers to this questions.
Consumerism has always been a big part of society back in the golden days. In today’s society, the ongoing debate of wants and needs are not justified by an individual’s wealth, but it is rather opinionated by the generalized public. Not only are the consumers getting caught in this mess, but many retailers are being sucked in as well. Retailers, have to stay up to date with the latest trends, to make sure they get their products across. Human identity is no longer determined by how much a person makes an hour, but by the commodities they possess. Consumers are so centralized on the materialistic items, that they forget what is more valuable and important. Unfortunately, the frivolous consumption has taken over the
Credit plays a significant role when it comes to consumer spending, but can have a significant impact if misused. It doesn’t take much for consumers to get in over their head with the overuse of credit, credit debt can quickly mount if left unchecked. According to Stinson (2016), “The road to a credit card debt pileup is often paved with spending that seemed like a good idea at the time. But too many well-intended moves can lead you into a financial ditch and ruin your credit” (Stinson,
“Confessions of a Shopaholic” by Sophie Kinsella is a quirky take on modern consumption trends. The story address some very important themes faced by capitalist societies today. Whilst maintaining a consistent level of humor accompanied with a discreet romantic plot. This novel is about a 25-year-old girl named Rebecca Bloomwood trying to make it on her own in London, England. However, her addiction to shopping is her tragic flaw that leads to her downfall. The book follows her story as she encounters issue after issue as they escalate in all aspects of her life. Firstly she is thousands of pounds in debt from over spending. Secondly, she is ironically a journalist for a financial advisory magazine, which begins to translate into compulsive lying. Eventually everything crashes down and she must reconstruct her relationships, job, and spending habits.
There are people who also like blaming the fashion industry for the this problem. They are saying that they are forcing people to think that they need the things that they are selling will make you happy (Elisa). This is simply not true, the problem of addiction is much more complex than somebody simply wanting to keep getting something they like. The problem stems from the brain and can be caused by genetics or the environment the person lived around. The person with Compulsive Buying Disorder can’t control the fact that they want to keep buying things. Even then, it’s not only clothes that most of these people like to buy; these guys usually buy anything they think is mildly
Everyone likes shopping, but everyone has their own way of spending when they go shopping. I love shopping, but I hate being at the mall, if I don’t need to be there then I won’t be there. I’ve noticed that when I have money, I do not buy anything, and when I do not have money I want everything I see. From my experience I’ve observed that there are people who shop smart, people who are just plain addicted to shopping, people who join another person while shopping, basically called window watchers.
Shopping is something that has to be done whether you enjoy it or not to get essentials needed. We all go places where merchandize is being sold for a specific reason. Whether you go to the mall, shopping centers, or your local grocery store, you 'll always encounter many types of shoppers. Shopping isn’t always as fun as it sounds to everyone, but it is something we often do. This is the only way we get products we need, by personally buying them. You have three main shoppers including impulse buyers, list makers, and bargain hunters.
First, the higher level of hedonic consumption in women can lead to impulse buying. Buying can be a hedonic experience that involves pleasure. Moreover, the research found that hedonic consumption is statistically correlated to impulse buying and women scored higher in hedonic consumption than men (Tifferet & Herstein, 2012). Thus, women are expected to show higher levels of impulse buying. Second, women are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression more than men (Tifferet & Herstein, 2012). Maybe, women use impulse buying as a way to get rid of the bad mood. Finally, the evolutionary development in men may prevent the behaviour of impulse buying (Tifferet & Herstein, 2012). In thousands year ago, men were responsible for looking for resources and it might require the skill of hunting. A hunt requires great care in the timing of the “purchase” which means if we strike too early and the prey will run away. Men may inherit this characteristic to be born with patience when it comes to making decision for buying.
However like most people, my relationship with money can still be improved. I do have moments when I may go on a spending spree like this week when I want to relieve myself from stressful situations. I believe it would be more beneficial to channel my stress in a more constructive manner rather than be impulsive when buying things. By the end of this week, I had mixed feelings when I realized how much I spent. I was aware of how much I was spending but, I was also aware that I don’t generally spend this much. Even though I felt somewhat guilty, I know that I will continue to save money as a way to pay up for all the spending I did this