Consumerism is a contemporary phenomenon. Unfortunately, it’s closely linked to another current problem: pollution. Indeed, one and the other go hand in hand. This is because overproduction by itself generates unfriendly effects on the planet. At the same time, merciless consumption gives rise to waste that exceeds reasonable ends.

Impulse buying is no longer seen as an amusing eccentricity. Furthermore, consumerism is also associated with another of the great evils of our time: credit card debt. Together, they often equate to the phenomenon of “buying what you don’t need, with money you don’t have”.

Consumerism isn’t so much a behavior as an attitude. Not only does it refer to a consumption activity that goes far beyond covering our needs, but it also transcends specific areas. In fact, consumerism exists in art, sex, and almost anything you can imagine. Without a doubt, this insatiable voracity is one of the signs of our time. Here are some curious facts about consumerism.

” In addition to being an economy of excess and waste, consumerism is also, and for precisely that reason, an economy of deceit.”

-Zygmunt Bauman-

Some worrying facts about consumerism

In certain areas of the planet, consumption is really intense. It’s estimated that, by the year 2050, there’ll be around 9.6 billion people in the world. This means that three planets like Earth would be needed to supply the current rate of consumption. In other words, if we continue as we are, our planet will become unviable.

In fact, today, according to Greenpeace, almost more than 50 percent of the natural resources that were used 30 years ago are extracted and used. Furthermore, every year, around 12 million tons of plastic reach the oceans. At least 40 percent corresponds to single-use packaging. Figures indicate that people use plastic bags for an average of 15 minutes before they discard them.

Another unusual fact about consumerism: 100 billion items of clothing are manufactured each year. Currently, a person buys an average of 60 percent more clothes than 15 years ago. The fast fashion industry has imposed the trend of using and throwing away clothes extremely quickly. If people were only to keep their clothes for a year, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 24 percent.

More curious facts about consumerism

Consumerism generates situations that border on the limit of the absurd. For example, the world’s most expensive hot dog costs $169. Its called the junni ban. It contains bratwurst sausage, teriyaki butter-roasted onions, wagyu beef, foie gras, black truffle shavings, caviar, maitake mushrooms, and Japanese mayonnaise. In some impoverished countries, with that same amount of money for one hot dog, thousands of families could survive for a month.

Without a doubt, shopping centers equate to the mecca of consumerism. They’re found everywhere. In fact, they’ve become the center of many people’s social lives, especially in winter. The largest in the world is the Dubai Mall. It has a total area of nine square kilometers. It’s home to some 1,200 stores, as well as 120 restaurants and cafes. The world’s largest candy store is also located there. It’s called Candylicious and has an area of 930 square meters.

One more fun fact: the best-selling toy in history is the famous Rubik’s cube. It appeared in the 1980s. To date, more than 350 million units have been sold. By the way, its inventor, Erno Rubik, never intended it to become a toy. He created it to teach geometry to his students.

Black Friday, the party of consumerism

If there’s one day on the calendar that represents the peak of consumerism, it’s the famous Black Friday. At some point, a hoax circulated that suggested the day was so-called because it commemorated the buying and selling of slaves on the day after Thanksgiving at a discounted rate. However, this has been denied.

The truth is that the name of this celebration of consumerism originated in Philadelphia. Traditionally, people celebrated it on the date following Thanksgiving. But, it caused so much traffic and there were so many people on the streets that chaos ensued. Hence, the authorities saw it as a ‘black day’. Another reason that was given for the name is that it’s the date on which the accounting figures stop being in the red and go into the black.

Black Friday originated in the United States. However, today, people celebrate it throughout almost the entire Western world. On the last Black Friday, in the USA alone, consumers spent more than nine billion dollars. This was despite the fact that the shadow of a recession was spreading throughout the world. That’s consumerism, immediate and unstoppable.

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