Consumption, a practice that began 10,000 years ago when people started to change from a hunter-gatherer existence and settle in villages on a quest to improve their lives. It is what we all want. Although all societies consume to sustain themselves, consumer society refers to a socio-economic order where consumption is the focus. During the 1930's the United States endured a great industrial overcapacity and large numbers of unemployed workers. People grew accustomed to living modestly. According to Pollution Issues, "To break people of their habit of under consuming, American industry purposefully organized to encourage North America to become a throw-away society and embrace a consuming way of life." In order to keep the economy going, things needed to be consumed at an increasing rate. (Pollution Issues, 2010) The 1950's marked an era of economic prosperity in the United States, complete with advertising, retailing and consumer credit where mass consumption helped bring shape to the economy and politics. In some respects, consumer society seems to have been deliberately constructed.
Media also helped industry persuade people that material goods would fulfill the void in their lives. Television, for example, has played such a successful part in consumption that American society has consumed as many goods and services between 1950 (when commercial television was launched) and the mid-1990s than all previous generations combined. (Pollution Issues, 2010)
Mass marketing flooded television programming from family entertainment shows and sports to commercial jingles designed specifically to target certain audiences. Even now, according to Juliet Schor, the "United States remains the most consumer oriented society in the world. People work longer hours than in any other industrialized country. Savings rates are lower. Consumer credit has exploded and roughly a million and a half households declare bankruptcy every year."(Schor, 2004, 9) This is partly due to our more than 46,000 shopping centers and our desire to acquire record amounts of stuff to store in our walk-in closets and four car garages. Americans also have approximately one television set per person per household, and we are continually inundated with images of consumer products advertised specifically to capture our attention and fill our void in our quest for happiness. Twentieth-century consumers are encouraged to look upon consumption as the bridge to a fulfilling and rewarding life. There is an underlying yearning for more, not only because of the way it is marketed but because it is often thought that more is better. A trip to the shopping mall means "more stuff" and to many, this excess is part of the hunt for a better life. (Schor, 2004, 9)
