CONSUMERISM Meaning and
Definition
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Consumerism is a social and economic ideology characterized by the prioritization of consumption as a defining aspect of individuals' identities and lifestyles. It refers to a culture or mentality that encourages and promotes the excessive acquisition and consumption of goods and services. This ideology is deeply embedded in capitalist societies, where the consumption of goods is seen as a means to achieve happiness, fulfillment, and social status.
From an economic perspective, consumerism drives demand for products and services, fueling economic growth and development. As a result, it plays a crucial role in modern market economies. Advertisements and marketing strategies are utilized extensively to create a desire for products among consumers. This often leads to overconsumption and a tendency to define one's self-worth through material possessions.
In a consumerist society, consumption becomes an important marker of social status and success, as people seek validation through the accumulation and conspicuous display of material belongings. However, this emphasis on consumerism has been criticized for perpetuating a throwaway culture, environmental degradation, and the exploitation of natural resources and labor.
The consequences of consumerism can be seen in various aspects of society, including personal finance, environmental sustainability, and social inequality. Critics argue that consumerism fosters a cycle of never-ending desires and debt, as individuals are constantly driven to acquire more in order to maintain their perceived social status. Additionally, the overconsumption associated with this ideology claims a heavy toll on the environment, contributing to pollution, waste, and climate change.
In summary, consumerism can be defined as a social and economic ideology that prioritizes and promotes the excessive acquisition and consumption of goods and services, often leading to a focus on material possessions and a potential disregard for sustainability and inequality.
Top Common Misspellings for CONSUMERISM *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for CONSUMERISM
Etymology of CONSUMERISM
The word "consumerism" originated from the noun "consumer", which comes from the Latin word "consumere", meaning "to consume, use up". This Latin term is a combination of "com-" meaning "together" and "sumere" meaning "take up, use". "Sumere" has its roots in the Proto-Indo-European base "*em-" meaning "to take" or "to distribute". The suffix "-ism" is derived from the Greek suffix "-ismos", which forms nouns indicating a system, ideology, or practice. Therefore, "consumerism" emerged in the mid-20th century to describe the ideology or practice of excessive consumption and the ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in large quantities.
Similar spelling words for CONSUMERISM
- consumer goods,
- consumptive,
- coenzyme,
- consumer loan,
- consumable,
- consuming,
- consumption,
- consumed,
- consummation,
- consumer,
- consummate,
- consummated,
- consomme,
- anti-consumerism,
- consensus.
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