4chan archive /int/ (index)
similar threads
2020-12-27 10:25 136578694 Anonymous Consumerism in the USA (1597758223526.jpg 1024x1024 72kB)
How is consumerism in the USA? Is it really that bad?

0 min later 136578737 Anonymous
What do you mean? Excessive buying of things?

2 min later 136578811 Anonymous (american-education.jpg 845x488 83kB)
>>136578694 It's pretty bad

4 min later 136578952 Anonymous
>>136578694 People will waste high salaries on cars every other year or their meagre salaries on omg nintendo switches. It really is a shame because at the end of their lives they have spent more on themselves than their kids and barely pass anything on to them. No inheritance of land or money, perpetuating the cycle because now the kids have to rent and work

4 min later 136578961 Anonymous
>>136578694 Its pretty bad but then again, rabid consumerism has its perks for people like me who abuse credit card schemes.

6 min later 136579039 Anonymous
>>136578694 Don't pretend it's better in your country or my co*ntry

11 min later 136579326 Anonymous
>>136578694 Yes and Regan made it worse.

11 min later 136579367 kuzukuzu
>>136578737 it's usually in the small details. like here if someone came to stay and they asked for a coffee in the morning you'd put the kettle on and make one whereas Americans would actually drive to shitbucks or another coffee shop to buy one. I mean yeah sure in each case you've still bought and consumed the coffee but it's the degree to which you go to.

11 min later 136579378 Anonymous
>>136579039 Working in customer product support, I heard stories... Allegedly, scores of bored american housewives buy thousands of dollars of products on Amazon at once, then refund all of them after having their fun within the 30 day trial period. It's like the act of shopping is a religious experience. I think we're not that far gone quite yet.

13 min later 136579455 Anonymous
>>136579367 Ah, yeah. I can be lazy like that sometimes. I always make coffee at home though

15 min later 136579634 Anonymous (Wojak_cropped.jpg 180x179 10kB)
>>136578694 I went to /v/ once and it was just a sea of spamming soijaks implying whether whether Nintendo or Sony was the better company, truly bizarre

16 min later 136579693 Anonymous (DE5A77C1-0F4E-4154-B36C-DB5B42B5DDEA.jpg 710x637 143kB)
This “consumerism meme has genuinely got to be the most pathetic thing on 4chan. You are not an educated intelligent consumer for using a £100 Chinese phone, you’re just poor. In every single country people will buy products they don’t necessarily need but which will improve their lives, for example iPhones and Tesla’s. The only reason most people don’t is a lack of money. Americans in general have ridiculous amounts of money, therefore they buy iPhones and Tesla’s more than other countries.

19 min later 136579795 Anonymous
>>136579693 I dont mean it that way, more like people being "omg the new iPhone/clothes line/tv/car has come out I must buy it now" every time something new comes out I'm not saying it is like that, I'm asking if it is true because I've seen some people depict it that way on the internet

20 min later 136579868 Anonymous
>>136578694 define consumerism

20 min later 136579880 Anonymous
>>136578952 Pretty shit that people will learn nothing from boomers even if they suffer from it.

20 min later 136579893 Anonymous
>>136579693 it's different, they're talking about the worshipping of products, brands, entertainment, corporations

21 min later 136579913 Anonymous
>>136579367 We make coffee at home if we're not going anywhere and buy Starbucks if we're late for our commute to work or something.

21 min later 136579945 Anonymous
>>136579693 Are you retarded? The entire point of the "consumerism meme" is to point a finger at the people so addicted to brands and shows of status that they buy stupid shit they can't afford just to look trendy. Yes, that i-[product] IS an overpriced ill made chinese piece of plastic. Yes, that tesla car IS a huge waste of money. The problem is when people who don't have the money start getting into debt or worse for these things, just because they want to feel like they're someone, their self worth tied to the fake world of marketing.

22 min later 136579998 Anonymous
>>136579893 Boomers worship brands. Millennials here have no brand loyalty and cringe when companies try to act like they're your friend.

23 min later 136580006 Anonymous
>>136579945 Thats a good thing. These people get repoed and then it goes to auction for cheap. Make money off peoples stupidity my friend.

23 min later 136580041 Anonymous
>>136579795 I don’t really think it is. However even this version is very highly dependent on how rich a country is, and since Americans are absurdly rich there will be more people like that.

24 min later 136580115 kuzukuzu
>>136579913 >buy Starbucks if we're late for our commute to work or something. people who eat or drink 'on the go' really, truly bum me out >>136579945 why are serbian posts always so based ?

25 min later 136580148 Anonymous
>>136579868 This >>136579795

27 min later 136580268 Anonymous
>>136579945 Yeah this is all just a fantasy. iPhones are generally considered to be the best phones so people buy them, they don’t place their self worth in products or any of that crap you’re making up.

27 min later 136580280 Anonymous
>>136578694 people are factional over which video game/car/clothing etc company is better. It's pathetic.

29 min later 136580367 Anonymous
>>136580006 I am not naive enough to believe I live in a vacuum. Society is a complex organization and your actions, deeds and misdeeds, ripple and spread through it. You're enjoying a cancer on your culture because today you got a cheap I-shit? Tomorrow one of your cousins might be a victim of his ignorance to the very same thing. A healthy society is not predatory, so I will not live by those words. >Make money off peoples stupidity my friend.

30 min later 136580416 Anonymous
>>136579693 >you’re just poor. Which is a choice, are you going to bust your ass off just to pay for some brand products? Maybe you can live without it, maybe I just want to be poor instead of just being poor with some toys.

30 min later 136580435 Anonymous (file.png 660x371 443kB)
>>136579998 Uh no, millenials are the soyboys obsessed with pop culture that we make fun of

31 min later 136580483 Anonymous
>>136580268 That is a blatant lie, I have witnessed a father buying his 2 very young daughters a pair of i-products because it's a 'premium' brand, those girls barely just learned to write, they know nothing of the specifications the devices have, and will probably do no more than browse facebook. Consumerism is real, and there are numerous studies, facts shall not be denied by your willing ignorance on this topic.

31 min later 136580500 Anonymous
>>136580268 that post hit close to home huh

34 min later 136580640 Anonymous
>>136580435 It's a bit different from boomers who think corporates genuinely care about things and aren't all morally bankrupt.

34 min later 136580648 Anonymous
>>136580367 People are their own being. I cannot control things beyond my own control. Do i think rabid consumerism is terrible for society? Absolutely. But the only thing I myself can control is the actions of myself and give my guidance to my peers and the people around me. However I have been given a set of cards the only thing I can do is make the best of my situation. So yes, I will profit off peoples irresponsibility and live a great life off of peoples stupidity.

35 min later 136580738 Anonymous
>>136579634 How do you even begin to imply Nintendo is better?

37 min later 136580812 Anonymous
>>136578694 >low IQ, uneducated and proudly ignorant >refusing or too stupid to use the metric system >can't properly speak, spell and apply English grammar rules >insanely high student debt >no worker protection laws (cancel culture) >most people are living from paycheck to paycheck >having to have two jobs to survive >having to tip waiters >old people unable to retire and need to continue working >homeless people >morbidly obese >unironically sharting >terrible healthcare and insurance system (get injured and drown in debt) >ignorance of COVID-19 >highest STD rates among "first world" countries >circumcision of baby penises >pledge of allegiance each day >indoctrinated and arrogant (Murrican exceptionalism) >Hollywood propaganda >worshipping celebrities >censoring swear words or natural nudity on TV while having world's biggest porn industry >broken two-party system beyond repair >citizens afraid of the government and vice versa >corrupt and easily bribed politicians >undisclosed financing of politicians (bribery) >military state, swallowing dozens of billions dollars each year >always at war >controlled by big corporations >worshipping big corporations >abuse of rights and privacy invasion by CIA, NSA, etc. >torturing whistleblowers and other "political enemies" >insane obsession of guns/rifles (wild west mentality) >several school shootings each day >deep racism everywhere >gangs and high crime rates >police brutality >highest incarceration rate by far >actual nazi problem >close to a civil war >climate change deniers >broken infrastructure/terrible public transportation >greed for oil, gas and coal energy (+fracking) >wasteful and inefficient >drought due to corporate greed >proponents of the flat earth theory >elected several sexual predators for president >constantly vote against their interest >nearly voted for a women for president >obsessed with BBC because it has no culture at all >anti-vaccinators

37 min later 136580856 Anonymous
>>136580812 Thank you for your service.

38 min later 136580902 Anonymous
>>136580648 That selfishness is, unfortunately, quite thoroughly ingrained in humanity as a whole, if the averages for various personality tests are anything to go by. I am saddened by this fact, because people like me are in the minority, and are en route to extinction. I won't be surprised if sociopathy breeds out the last shred of real empathy out of us by the year 5000.

38 min later 136580905 Anonymous
>>136580648 You can be active to try and better your nation if you really care about it

39 min later 136580941 Anonymous
>>136580416 You’re in a developing country so I understand what you’re saying, but in most developed countries iPhones and similar are really trivial purchases for white collar professionals. If you’re poor enough that buying an iPhone is a stretch you shouted going to uni and getting a better job instead of scrimping constantly. >>136580483 What facts are there here? It is very easy to prove iPhone (or any luxury product really) ownership increases with income, education and type of job. If it was apparently people being brainwashed by marketing then you’d expect the opposite to occur, which it doesn’t. It’s literally an elaborate fantasy which only exists on 4chan.

40 min later 136581030 Anonymous (c9c4bb05a7020d99f60c88fc38aeae11.jpg 320x249 6kB)
>>136580812

43 min later 136581177 Anonymous
>>136580902 >>136580905 Its not much selfishness as it is that you cannot change the people around you. All you can do is live by example, live a sustainable life and be the best example of yourself you can be and hope others follow your example. Its the only thing I can do. However im not going to turn down the benefits that rabid consumerism provides me.

43 min later 136581187 Anonymous
>>136580941 >It is very easy to prove iPhone (or any luxury product really) ownership increases with income, education and type of job. This does not contradict the existence of a poisonous culture we call 'consumerism' in the working class, at all. In fact, a simple goog- oh pardon me, a simple internet search on the topic should immediately bring up a library's worth of results.

43 min later 136581196 Anonymous
I mean imo consumerism is almost as big in Europe, people in the US just have more disposable income. Only thing I can think of would be more consumerist things embedded in our culture, like people unironically watching the super bowl for "the funny ads." People here I think aren't as cynical about advertising (massive billboards everywhere), but I think poor tards everywhere want iPhones and yeezys as status symbols. t. Lived on both sides of the Atlantic

45 min later 136581308 Anonymous
>>136578952 Boomers are a cancer

45 min later 136581321 Anonymous
>>136581177 That is selfishness though, is it not? >However im not going to turn down the benefits that rabid consumerism provides me. translation: I am open to exploiting people because this exploitation would be done by someone else anyway in our society so why not me? It's a real subtle thing, how you play with words to hide your true nature, humans are good at that, convincing themselves that they are moral. I think you need to revisit the 'live by example' part of your post.

48 min later 136581464 Anonymous
>>136580435 No, he's kind of right. Many millenials don't trust corporations to act ethically so there's a lot less trust. These same people also put a lot of trust in government services, however, so there's a lot more liberally minded young people than there are blind corporation worshippers. Both have their pros and cons desu

48 min later 136581468 Anonymous
>>136578694 in the 90's everyone would CONSOOM and no one complained. now these days if you buy something you get called a bugman by an autistic neet

49 min later 136581562 Anonymous
>>136581321 I should elaborate what I mean by this. Credit card companies in the united states have methods of inciting consumers to spend money for virtual currency. These programs they have can actually net you a 5% return on any purchase you spend. Why wouldn't I take advantage of such a program? If i need a new car, I use a wholesaler of repossessed vehicles. What reason should I pay for drive off the lot deprecation when someone else has and the vehicle is being liquidated by the bank at rock bottom prices do to others rabid consumerism? I am using implements provided to me by the system to live a more substantiate life.

51 min later 136581660 Anonymous
>>136578694 It's not like Europe is much better than the US in that regard, but it does seem like consumerism is a bigger part of American culture. To me, it always seemed like they place more importance on status and being an owner of certain things. Shoes for example, or cars. American TV has more ads, especially when it comes to Sport (the Super Bowl comes to mind), and there are more billboards etc everywhere. And all the special offers etc. I'm not an expert on this, but perhaps it's due to the "from rags to riches" American dream mentality of individualism or something... But really, their influence caused Europe and youth culture all around the world to become similar. So it's not like we can point at them and laugh, they happen to be worse, but not by a lot.

54 min later 136581821 Anonymous
>>136580941 The consumerism is still the same in the first world but at a higher standard, Hondas and Toyotas are luxury items here, there it is a symbol of poverty and you should get a Mercedes or something. And it is related to self worth, most people will never own anything, change the world or leave something worth to their children, if they even have children like most young people, then what is even the point of the effort? The only thing driving these people is consumerism.

55 min later 136581915 Anonymous
>>136581562 Alright then, that sort of non-harmful interaction really can't be condemned. But I do not consider your approach to be the norm, most people are more open to exploiting others than you.

55 min later 136581916 Anonymous (1538088889369.jpg 653x533 32kB)
>>136581562 This is how to do it right. My Discover card gives me 1% cash back on everything. EVERYTHING. It's free money! I buy everything on that card and pay it back. Just don't live beyond your means and you're good. Too many idiots fuel these companies by thinking a credit card is infinite money when it's really just a sneaky way for banks to make money. But if you're a good goy and never buy what you can't afford you can make free money on these bitches. >>136581660 People who use products as status symbols disgust me and I am deeply sorry if this type of thinking has infected your youth. I buy so that I can keep things for a long time. I still wear clothes from high school (8 years ago). I hate having logos on my items too. I could give a fuck if you drive an Audi in your yeezys. It's not impressive to me. I have never really had new or nice things so I try to opt for long-lasting or reliable things. My car is 20 years old but I take good care of it, and it runs like a dream. Dad taught me to change oil, air filters, transmission fluid, etc. Taught me how to clean and condition my boots, and mom taught me to cook, clean and sew. Fuck paying for that shit, I'll do it myself and enjoy it.

58 min later 136582061 Anonymous
>>136581915 Im sorry I didnt make my self clear earlier and caused that misunderstanding. I was raised in Japan so my approach to it is leave others at a zero. I dont go to exploit people rather the systems and quirks that come as a result of rabid consumerism and allows you to live even better on a more sustainable environment. >>136581916 Exactly my friend. I use Chase but I get about $1400 or a round trip to Japan and back in business class.

59 min later 136582138 Anonymous
>>136579367 and I bet you grew those coffee beans too and manually forged the kettle right?

1 hours later 136582195 Anonymous
>>136579693 >improve their lives youre retarded and your post is too.

1.785 0.186