Introduction and definition of consumerism.

Systematic creation and boosting up the desires of purchase of goods and services in greater amount i.e. bulk purchasing is referred as the consumerism .consumerism is commonly criticized for the newly emerging middle class of twentieth century is facing the criticism of consumption, through globalization the uninterrupted supply is canalizing the consumerism.. The term consumerism is an outcome of the different reforms like consumer activism and consumers protection etc .these reforms are meant to inform and protect the consumers .the methods and the policies here are inclined towards the buyers interest and benefits. Where in the companies tend to offer honest packaging and advertisements. The improvements in the quality and standards of the product and services, enhanced safety standards, variety, competitive pricing etc. these all mentioned aspects are for the buyers interest and to allure them to buy the products or services. As in terms of economics the consumerism refers to the economics policies which are meant to create and impact and boosting the consumption by the consumers. The liberated behavior of the consumers and free choice to consume to some extent affects the economic structure. The term consumerism is used in several different ways. In economics, it usually refers to a movement which promotes the right and safety of the consumer which arose in the early 1900s as people grew increasingly concerned about consumer safety and manufacturing methods. In terms of philosophy consumerism is the lifestyle where the consumers are inclined towards possession in higher value of materials and more than what is required is being consumed in the process. Critics of this way of life espouse anti-consumerism or protectionism.

Types of consumerism 1) Mainstream consumerism. 2) Counter Consumerism. 3) Anti-Consumerism.

One is mainstream consumerism; the dominant hegemony that happens in our culture. Mainstream consumerism is mega. Walmart exemplifies this kind of consumerism, as does the mega-church. Boomer consumerism is mainstream consumerism. Second one is counter consumerism, which is savviness. They are aware that Walmart and Microsoft Windows are trying to dominate, and they resist just like they resist mega-churches. But the odd thing is theyre no fewer consumers. Theyre just counter consumers. A counter consumer buys Apple. It is absolutely consumer driven. They are consuming an identity that says were different; an alternative from the rest of you.Its youth rebellion. A reaction against what youre parents like.Instead of Starbucks youll go to the independent coffee shops. But its still coffee shops and its still consuming to form an identity. The emerging church is largely counter consumer. Its really edgy, hip and trendy. But its no less consumeristic. The third type is anti-consumerism that is what I would call my context. Mennonites resist both the hip Apples and the hegemonic Windows. They would rather not have a computer. Theyd rather make their own clothes, sow their own quilts, and build their own homes. Theyre very, very, very careful not to consume. Thats anti-consumer.

Hisotry and getting ahead with consumerism The practice of consuming beyond basic needs is ancient; one need only look at the lavish tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs for an example. However, consumerism in the modern sense really came into its own with the advent of mass production, and an increasing separation between producers and consumers. Historically, people produced many of their own goods, or lived and worked in close proximity to their producers, and production was primarily limited to basic needs, except in the case of goods aimed at the upper classes. With the Industrial Revolution came several radical changes in consumption patterns. The first was an increase in consumption among all socioeconomic classes, driven by producers who were making an excess of goods and needed to create a market for it. The second was a radical rift between producers and consumers, as goods could be shipped anywhere in the world and people rarely met or interacted with the people who made their goods. The Industrial Revolution also made it possible to shift from a production oriented society to a consumption oriented society, because fewer producers could make more goods. In the sense of consumer protection, the rumblings of consumerism arose in response to issues like contaminated foods, faulty mechanical products, and other issues. Advocates for consumers started to argue that safety standards needed to be put in place, and companies needed to be held accountable for their faulty products, for the protection of consumers. Consumerism in this sense also expands to disputes about false advertising claims, lobbying for disclosure, and a variety of other topics.

In the sense of a way of life in which the consumption of consumer goods is placed at a high priority, consumerism has been an age-old topic of criticism, and the criticism only becomes more severe over time. Consumerism is closely related to materialism, and both trends tend to emerge in capitalist systems, in which consumerism may be encouraged for a variety of reasons. Consumerism tends to underscore class differences and widen socioeconomic gaps, as people use consumer goods as a display of class status. Worldwide, consumption of resources occurs disproportionately among the rich, with the world's poor consuming a fraction of the world's resources. Status symbols such as large houses, fancy cars, and designer clothing are sometimes viewed and attacked as symbols of consumerist lifestyles.

CONSUMERISM: A SHAME OF MARKETING Looking through the concept and social behavior attached to consumerism, the question we need to ask ourselves is what impact does marketing make on consumerism? Is there a positive or negative impact of consumerism on society and the environment at last? Economic Impact: The more consumerism spreads, the weaker is the incentive to manufacture long-lasting, quality products, and the greater the likelihood that cheaply made products will instead be imported from the lowest-wage, environmentally unregulated overseas manufacturer that mobile capital, ever seeking the highest return, can find Environmental Impact: onsumerism causes the wasteful use of energy and material far above and beyond that needed for everyday living at a comfortable level. Money is not the only way to measure the cost of an item. When one adds up all the raw materials and energy that go into the goods and services consumed over an individual's lifetime, the toll on the environment is staggering. When this cost is multiplied out over the lifespan of families, cities and countries, the proportions are incredible. Social Impact: Consumerism results into the wrong status grading of individuals. People are wrongly socially classified as being compliant even though they create more losses to the environment and the economy. Consumerism is therefore a shame of marketing as it results into individuals being marketed for the wrong reasons. It creates a need where there is none. It levates those who should be condemned and creates lots of sunk finances in the country thereby destroying efforts made by political and economic leaders to improve the economy. Marketers should be reprimanded when they falsely ascribe unwholesome qualities or features to a product when the product does not have such

CONCLUSION As we conclude, we wish to bring to life consumerism in our local environment. Why would make a man with a good and perfectly-conditioned car, desire and decide to purchase another one with similar features only because is it a 2 years later model? What would make a student junk his school bag every semester to purchase another one? What would create the cravings in the heart of an individual to just amass properties that he may never use, just for the joy of seeing them? These materialistic cravings were limited to the arts in the past but have become the pastime of many today. The urge comes as a result of marketing. This form of marketing that has resulted into people not buying things as needed but to satisfy an urge is a bane of modern day adverts and should be corrected.