Consumerism Speech - Preliminary Aos - 869 Words

How many times would you say you thought, â€Å"I need that bag, or those shoes† because everyone else has them? How many people do you speak to that know who you are as a person and not just the ‘things’ you like or the types of food you don’t eat. Is it possible that you could, unwillingly and unintentionally be superficial? Good morning everyone and welcome to the mindset of modern society, materialistic and consumer driven. Today, the desirable consumerist lifestyle outweighs the instinct of compassion, which only proves my point that the inherent values of consumerism force you all; yes you, to be insensitive. The Australian poet Bruce Dawe wrote The Not-So-Good Earth during the Vietnam War, about these values influencing the response†¦show more content†¦Twice? Three times? Does it end? The colloquialisms in the poem only further denote the inextricable link of consumerism to relationships. When it is linked this closely to people, the very nature of their interaction is shaped into a shallow never-ending cycle of meaningless expression. The falseness of communication today is directly linked to the consumerist lifestyle and has been increasing since the late 1880’s. Clancy of the Overflow not only depicts the city as a giant symbol of materialism, but also portrays the townsfolk as having â€Å"eager eyes and greedy† stating that they â€Å"have no time to grow, they have no time to waste†. This statement is indicative of the busyness of people’s lives and negligence of other humans. Similarly, when Paterson wrote â€Å"As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste† he shows the carelessness of people affected by consumerism in this era, which has only increased from the time of Paterson to the time of Dawe, and furthermore to present day. What can we do to change? What can we do to stop this perpetual chain of meaningless things, people and interactions? It begins with the consumer mindset; this is what influences our identity, and our communications. When consumerism becomes something we understand and acknowledge we can then bring about change in relationships and eventually