Materialism; A Destructive Value System

We live in a society that is excessively materialistic. It has become an ingrained value system through which we conduct our daily lives. It molds our decisions, influences our attitudes and relationships.

Researchers define materialism as “a value system that is preoccupied with possessions and the social image they project”[1]. There is experiment-based evidence that such a system can be both socially destructive and self-destructive.

Materialism as a concept is not new to me, it is something I have noticed all around me since my childhood. However, it wasn’t until recently that I really started to think about how damaging can this concept be when it manifests in all aspects of our lives. Starting from schools, to higher education, family life, friendships, social interactions, events, weddings and about everything. Materialism is the underlying value system that guides most of the behavior and attitudes of people.

I have seen people living empty and unsatisfied lives because they tie their satisfaction and goals to material gains. The latest item to buy to fulfill the desire of keeping up with an image or appearing a certain way has taken the meaning out of people’s lives.

Materialism takes happiness and peace out of our lives. It makes us less empathetic. People are focused only on themselves, what they possesses and what they want to possess. What I notice is that people start to see each other as things, constantly in state of competition.

The fact is it is not us who possess the things, it is those material things and the desire that possesses us, hence controls us. We become puppets of desire and material possession.

It affects relationships with family, friends and people in general. I notice that people tend to disengage with each other. The center of attention is your own being, your social standing, image and the attached value. The warmth and genuineness of humanity is slowly fading. Humans have merely becomes figures to compare yourself against. This is why we see people living in isolation.

Researchers have found a link between increased materialism and depression. The more materialistic people became the less happy they became.

A clear proof that material items cannot replace the value of human connection.Yet, success and well-being is measured through materialistic gains.

Why do we then turn to material things so often to make us happy?

I believe, it has become a natural value system upon which society is built; it is about the social image rather than your real happiness. Once again, how you appear to be in front of people is more important that how you really feel. People come to see things as a means to achieving feeling of happiness. The temporary joy that never seems to be enough.

Materialism affects all aspects of our life. From what I have seen, it decreases motivation for students in university, who concentrate more on their style and appearance than the process of learning. The only real motivation to succeed in life is once again material gains rather than to make a difference or to become a better person.

Materialism is a disease that slowly eats the life out of us. It kills humanity in some people.

It has made people selfish, it makes people blind to others’ suffering. You choose to overlook what others are going through or how humanity suffers because what matters is what makes you happy. And what makes you happy, is quantifiable, it’s material. The next car, the next diamond, a bigger house, a fancier lifestyle.

Social media is promoting this sense of materialism, the new trend of over-sharing and of fashionistas, who promote nothing but latest brands, new trends has taken materialism to another level. Literally, all most of them talk about what they are wearing or the latest purchase or review of some expensive gadget. The influence is beyond comprehension; it promotes materialism amongst youth who follow these trends blindly.

Teenagers nowadays know less about manners than they know about latest brands and fashion trends.

The whole concept of posting pictures on Instagram and Facebook once again focuses mainly on your appearances, material possessions, it is common to see fancy display of lavish lifestyle. Somehow, this is how people express their personalities and interests.

There is nothing wrong with buying what you desire but what is wrong is how much it is emphasized as if it is the most important thing in a person, as if it is a criteria to measure a person’s worth against.

In social gatherings, the topics of discussion are the latest purchase, the latest piece of jewelry or the next grand dress, next shopping destination?

Coming from a culture of privilege myself. As a teenager growing up in a materialistic society, I was a victim of such attitude too. It took me a while to get out of this mentality. This sense of privilege that makes you feel entitled to everything in life is literally self-destructive. It reduces your life to the things you own. It takes away your sense of responsibility to give back, to make use of the gift that life is. It imprisons you and you live in a little bubble oblivious of realities around you .The beautiful experiences that are meant to be lived that are beyond material gains.

People go in debts just to keep up with this race of material display of excessive wealth and lavish lifestyle. It creates self-esteem issues. If you’re not wearing the latest collection or driving the latest car then you’re really not worth much, you’re lagging behind. Your value has been reduced.

This is what creates personality disorders and leads to the constant feeling of emptiness, because no matter how much you possess on the outside, it cannot fill the inside.

Many realize the harmful effects of materialism as the dominant value system of society but rarely do anything to change it. A discussion with a friend captured my exact thoughts: Tamader AlSultan commented

‘Being born into luxury is a double-edged sword, it is on one hand a means to a comfortable life, but on the other hand, it goes beyond being just about comfort for some. It stretches out to be all shades of ugly by blurring the boundaries for those who let it. A lot of us who are born into luxury, tend to overlook or forget that our unnecessary wants can help people with needs. We'll have to start with sacrificing our most disposable wants, to give our lives some structure, and ourselves some restriction. That will not only help us, and others who are in need, but it will also stop others from exploiting our weakness, the love of luxury. Many often preach this concept, but rarely ever do people actually uphold their end of it, that's because we are too absorbed by our desire to have things. When it comes to changing our mindset as a society, talk will not cut it, what we need is a group of people who are willing to take action, and then change might just follow.’

How can materialism exist in a society that follows a faith (Islam) strongly against such value system? In fact it teaches everything against materialism. It teaches us about the beauty of life, of kind words, a modest life, careful spending and taking care of the less fortunate?

I realize the beauty of this message even more. The emphasis on being a good person and living a meaningful life keeping in mind that the world we are in is temporary and material possessions are nothing but a distraction. They don’t fulfill us on the inside nor do they benefit us in the long term.

What went wrong? How did we allow our lives to be reduced to a couple of things? Are we all allowing materialism to destroy us internally? Is there any cure for this disease?

[1] http://pss.sagepub.com/content/23/5/517

Photo from:

http://www.redressonline.com/2014/06/materialism-and-misery-and-the-need-for-change/