In a digitized world, there is little room for thinking outside of the realm of our phone screens. Apps bombard us with advertisements tailored to what we research or view most, making it difficult to feel content with what we physically possess.
It’s common knowledge that the things people want most are the things they don’t have, but it’s a statement ignored just as often as it’s said. In the last century, the consumption levels of the average person have skyrocketed. Whether it is food, clothing, media or other natural resources, people cannot seem to get enough of anything. While this is causing a plethora of issues for the planet and the overall mentality of people, the root issue is either being overlooked or blatantly ignored.
In simple terms, we are given everything we could possibly need, so individuals have lost their sense of urgency to create rather than consume. This is likely due to respect being given to people with the flashiest possessions and objects rather than those who strive to produce meaningful ideas for the advancement of people.
It isn’t as problematic a mindset for people with the means to maintain it, but people who are behind financially pay the real price. They carry the burden of providing basic necessities in addition to feeling as if they need to “catch up” to achieve the same level of fulfillment.
It’s hard to be seen and advance in life when you don’t retain the things people identify as the most important. A future where high consumption doesn’t envelop our minds seems impossible. Even as we realize its negative effects, we are too entranced with objects to make necessary changes because dopamine hits from Amazon packages or a new pair of shoes serve as perfectly convenient distractions.
The only long-term solution is for people to start reworking their thought processes and start attempting to produce something new every day. Whether it be an idea, a piece of art or a simple conversation, a society striving for these invaluable creations might start to grant less respect for the material world and more for the working mind.
