Affluenza: To Buy or Not To Buy

Affluenza: To Buy or Not To Buy

There is an epidemic widespread throughout the country. A highly contagious disease of being out of control; overconsumption, and the symptoms normally include compulsive shopping,

high debt, overwork, a sense of entitlement, obsession with externals and "having it all," wastefulness, and stress. The disease is called affluenza, which is derived from the word

"affluence," meaning: abundant supply, wealth, and riches. Affluenza has been described as:

" 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth."

It is a fact that "advertisers who promote and shape a consumer's way of life seek to condition us to the idea that by trading our "life" for the money needed to buy their product, in hopes we can fulfill our hopes for power, happiness, acceptance, success, achievement, and personal worth." Example the factory worker who dreams of winning the lottery and devotes a chunk of his weekly paycheck toward buying tickets. The secretary who spends