Dec 21, 2014 Posted by AGA Editor

Consumerism Is An Epidemic

Have you ever felt that you’re living through a nightmare of consumption? That you wish you could un-hook yourself and reconnect with a life that is somehow more real and vivid? I know I have.

Today we live in a time when there is little to no understanding of how the goods we consume and take for granted came into being. Without this we lack the knowledge to understand the true costs of our consumption, and the power to take action. As a result we have become disconnected.

What is the fascination with having the next big thing? It seems we are consumed by our desires to have the biggest house, the newest car and the latest iPhone.

Think about it, each time Apple launches a new iPhone, it’s a spectacle. Crowds cheer as they rush to stores in the eternal quest to obtain the latest and greatest gadget. But the blind fervor over Apple devices masks a darker aspect of iPhone mania: People go to truly desperate lengths to get their hands on one.

Since the first iPhone shipped out in 2007, fans have gotten in fist fights, sold organs and even trafficked children in exchange for the devices. These are all true by the way. Others risked their own safety to recover lost phones. Robbers have killed just to make a buck feeding the iPhone black market.

Americans are shelling out big bucks annually to outfit the entire household with Apple products. And they are spending hundreds – if not thousands of dollars – more each year for the unexpected Apple “taxes” — add-ons that lock them into the Apple system: iTunes downloads for music, movies and games, along with subscriptions and accessories.

Why are we so obsessed?

Are you awake Yet?