Materialism and Unhappiness: A Modern Dilemma

“Buy like you breathe, only more frequently” is the motto believed by bestselling author Matt Walsh being promoted by today's society. It's evident that as time has gone on, society has become increasingly materialistic, with many of the world’s modern population growing up wealthier than their predecessors. However, it should be noted that in spite of this apparent prosperity, people in today's society are less happy and at a greater risk of developing depression (Myers, 2000, p.55-67). Thus it's evident that life has become a hamster wheel of striving for more possession, resulting in more unhappiness.

It becomes evident that today's increasingly materialistic society has become a hamster wheel of striving after material possessions which leads to increased unhappiness by reviewing how people choose and remain in careers that they hate due to societal pressure to be wealthy. A study

Also, paying for things like family vacations leads to happiness as one is able to bond with their family and for some people, obtaining more financially is something that genuinely makes them happy (Nicolao, Irwin, and Goodman, 2009). This seemingly proves that the act of pursuing more materially breeds happiness. However, studies indicate that when they spend money, most people receive happiness from ‘experiential purchases’, that is purchases like vacations where one doesn't receive anything materially from the event other than photographs and memories, rather than from material possessions. This clearly shows that the acquisition of material things doesn't bring happiness, which clearly shows that modern life’s descent into becoming a hamster wheel of attaining more financially doesn't bring