2. WHAT IS CONSUMERISM?
• Consumerism is the
theory that increasing
consumption of goods is
economically desirable. It
encourages the
acquisition of goods and
services in even greater
amounts.
2
3. CONSUMERISM IN THE BOOK
In Brave New World,
consumerism is a very
strong method that the
world state uses to control
the population. People are
conditioned to think that as
soon as products get old
they should be replaced,
and that they should take
every opportunity to
consume as much as
possible.
3
4. – Brave New World, Chapter 3, Pg. 49, Paragraph 7
“Ending is better than
mending. The more
stitches, the less riches.”
4
5. CONSUMERISM IN OUR LIVES
Today’s society is influenced by massive
corporations that feed on our consumerism, and it is
arguable that we are under the control of these
corporations. Unlike in the book, consumerism in our
world is not driven by the government, but it does
not seem interested in reducing consumption. After
all, it is easier to keep the population under control
when they are distracted buying pointlessly.
5
8. Apple is a major technology corporation with an
impressive amount of power. It creates products
such as phones, tablets, computers, and basically
electronic devices aimed at the public. It is a very
common happening that, as soon as a new Apple
product is released, people go on a desperate frenzy
to buy it immediately. Usually it is the middle and
higher classes which exhibit these conducts, but it is
still a very influential thing.
8
9. Apple leads us to think that we need their products, when
in reality there are much more important things in life.
Also, there are several other options in the same field, but
we’ve been conditioned to think that Apple is the best
there is. We believe that in order to be accepted, to give
others a good impression, and even to be complete and
satisfied, we need the newest iPhone. This kind of thinking
distracts us from the important things around us and turn
our thought patterns repetitive and shallow. Also, we
idolize electronics to the point of being ridiculously happy
of having Apple products.
12. Shopping malls are luxurious buildings of stores,
where comercial products are literally sold side by
side in a concentrated area. Now a days, going to
the mall is a very poplar social activity, whether you
go with your family, your friends, or your significant
one. Since malls also foster a variety of restaurants, it
is very common for people to go eat there, and
browse through the stores and merchandizes on
their way out.
13. The fact that our social interactions now revolve
around the consumption of comercial products is
highly alarming. Yes, it is nice to eat out, but there is
really no need for every gathering to happen in the
shopping mall. Also, it is a place where the
bombarding of propaganda is unfiltered and
constant. Again, this extreme consumerism easily
distracts us and allows us to pass the time without
much reflection on our actions and on the world we
live in.
14. OVERALL CONCLUSION
A very common way in the book of controlling people is by
inflicting pleasure. Consumerism allows the World State to
thrive, keeping people busy buying, seeing as they are dumping
all their attention on irrelevant material items, and they have
basically no control over their way of thinking. They have been
deeply accustomed to never questioning anything. The
government doesn’t want people being exposed to any
information that may provoque thought or realization. It is
terrifying to think of how predictable, shallow, and dull the
people become. Almost like cardboard cutouts. And the scariest
thing is that it does not seem like an unlikely future for us.
15. – Brave New World, Chapter 3, Pg. 35
“You can’t consume much
if you sit still and read
books.”
15
