Has consumer society gone to far?

What ever you do, don't let college educate the common sense out of you. Something you said alarmed me. "People who can't afford these new gadgets feel inferior and resentful and those who can feel superior to those who can't, even though as people they probably aren't. This is causing lots of problems in society like depression and anxiety and even crimes as serious as murder are committed to gain material wealth." So, tell me, do you feel that those who have, shouldn't, because others cannot? This is what I am getting from that statement. I also interpret this as you seeing it as a disparity that must be corrected, am I right in my assumptions? I do hope you will be back to actually discuss this rather than leaving it as a drive by type post. Besides, you don't earn from this discussion unless you actually come back and type stuff.

I am depressed, but not because I don't have the latest gadget. I don't even want the latest gadget. I'm happy enough with old technology. Like the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Before I was married, we usually always got the latest gadgets at home...because my dad is a gadget freak. But he's always been able to afford if after taking care of the home responsibilities...so I guess it was okay. But after marriage, we couldn't afford all the latest gadgets in the market...and so we never bothered with anything besides the stuff we really needed. And we don't bother about getting the latest thing...check out what suits our needs and buy the ones that will give us best value for money. That's my policy. I'm not depressed or stressed that I do not own every gadget that's out there. I'm quite happy with what I have and if ever I do go out and get something new, it's going to be because I NEED it and not just because it's out there in the market.

in some cases,definetly. i don't really like changing things til i absolutely have to. we still use stuff 100 years old in the house..it still works,i don't see why not. some things like game systems it's hardly worth buying anymore because by christmas they have an upgrade,and it won't play the games you just got.

I could live very happily without most of the gadgets that are out now. My husband is the exact opposite. He MUST have the newest, brightest, shiniest, coolest electronic gadgets that come out. I get so frustrated at my cell phone. I do like having a cell phone but I miss the days when all they would do is make and receive phone calls. My husband had one that he could play games on and I loved a couple of the games so I said I'd like a phone like that. He ordered me one. Well, the games are fun but it sure is a complicated process to make, or even ANSWER, phone calls! I can't even remember how many times my phone has rung and, when I tried to answer, the call was disconnected. I pushed the right button, honest! TVs now, I think I'd love to go back when you had to get up off your butt to turn it on/off, change the channel or raise/lower the volume. My husband naturally had to have the biggest, most advanced TV out there. We have a 52" monster sitting in the living room, which was the largest at the time. He has no less than seven things plugged into it. He bought a remote control (which cost $500.00!!!) that does everything but the laundry. If I want to switch from watching TV to watching a DVD, I have to call him because I can't figure the darned thing out and it just makes me very angry. I'm just an old hippie. I love simplicity. I love nature. I could live quite nicely with a simple shelter, growing my own food, making my own clothes, and most definitely without all this "technology"!

THis is techology push, which brand naming and marketing promotion that are powerful creating a lifestyle that brain wash the customer to buy their products.In my country the profilication of credit card application shot up, with credit card your can buy this stuffs by installment so at the end of the month it will auto debit from the card users.hence when salary is out,debt payment and hence the user is bloke paying debts.This phemonema is happening and personal debts is raising alarming,causing the government to impose tax to discourage people from applying credit card also.Credit card application is very easy if your have previous card holder.Some people i know buy stuffs because they feel secure.

I take very little notice of adverts and I'd certainly not rush out to by the latest gadget just because it's considered to be the latest "in" thing. If I find something to be useful, then I'll get it if I think that it'll make things easier for me. So I've got a breadmaker because it's a lot easier than baking the old fashioned way and shop bread is rubbish, I've got an up to date computer because I consider reliable internet access to be essential, but I don't have a phone with internet access because I don't feel the need to have access 24/7. I don't have an ipod because I have more respect for my eardrums than to blast them with high frequency sound at point - blank range and I prefer to listen to music in the comfort of my own home where I can enjoy a decent sound system and not annoy anyone else with the tinny noise that those things make! Finally I consider that people who rush out to buy the latest gadget just because it is the latest gadget are no better than a pack of sheep all rushing in the same direction at once and for no sensible reason. And then they are shallow enough to think that they are "superior" because they have done exactly what all the rest of the sheep have done!

I don't even own a cell phone. That's not to say cell phones are not important, they are great for emergencies and such. But that's how little I care about new gadgets these days. I have an ipod only because my sister and brother-in-law got me for Christmas. I just don't care. Perhaps if I had some of these new things I would just love them. But I simply don't care enough. Once I would buy a certain new product, I know "ten minutes" later they would come up with a new and improved version they'd try to make me buy.

Ghee! I am so glad I didn't realize all this was going on. I already have severe depression with panic attacks and I sure don't need to add to that! Hehehe I just don't pay any attention to the new gadgets and such. Sometimes it is interesting to see something about a new one but not that much. I think it helps to not have been brought up in a society where all these new gadgets exist. I was born in 1951 and we didn't even have computers then much less cells and all the rest of it.