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Consumerism in itself isn’t inherently bad. It promotes economic growth, creates jobs, and fosters innovation. But given how out of hand it has become in recent years, many would argue that it is a double-edged sword.

Among those who have grown fed up are members of the Anticonsumption subreddit. Day in and day out, they call out the worsening state of materialism in today’s society. And if you scroll through the page, you may see how depressing it has become.

Here are some of the posts from the community that perfectly capture how problematic consumerism has become.

#1 Tired Of It

#2 I Was So Disgusted By This Ad

#3 They’re Editing Digital Books To Contain Ads Now

The Anticonsumption subreddit’s one-liner bio concisely and ambiguously expressed the drawbacks of consumerism. However, experts have explicitly discussed them over the years, including how it affects a child’s well-being.

A study from the University of Macau found that youth materialism has been linked with a dip in self-esteem, along with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and decreased motivation.

#4 Be So Real With Me Rn

#5 The Pollinator Crisis

#6 Is This The Capitalism Breeding Innovation They’re Talking About?

What’s worse is that it turns into a toxic, seemingly inescapable cycle. According to a study by the University of Chicago, the depleted self-esteem among children and adolescents increases their materialism tendencies.

Researchers have found that material possessions have become a primary coping mechanism for their feelings of self-worth.

#7 Have You Stopped Flying Yet?

#8 God Is Rewarding Me For Buying Secondhand

Bought a jansport from a secondhand store and found 100$ in one of the pockets.

#9 11 Kilometers/6.8 Miles Down

According to Lan Nguyen Chaplin, a marketing professor at the University of Chicago, one of the many roots of the problem is when parents use material things as a form of punishment or reward.

“In the long run, there’s this focus on material things, and kids grow up to place a greater emphasis on material things as a sign of success and achievement,” Chaplin told National Geographic.

#10 When Did Billing For Holidays Become Normal

#11 Same Cycle Over & Over Again

#12 I Hate How Normalised This Is 🙁

Then there is the advertising that kids are exposed to, whether on TV, on the social platforms they navigate, or on YouTube ads they see at the start of every video.

“Kids don’t even realize what an advertisement is when they’re young—they just see something, and they think it’s great,” University of Missouri marketing professor Marsha Richins points out.

#13 Single Use Children Novelty Waste Is The Worse

#14 Single Use Phone Chargers

#15 This “On Sale” Marketing Should Be Illegal

I researched this exact model of blender online and checked the price at many stores. Just as I expected, it has NEVER been priced at 85.99 at a single vendor. This type of behavior is predatory and manipulative.

So, how do we stop this cycle? Chaplin urges practicing gratitude and giving, for one. But more importantly, she calls on parents to foster a loving and harmonious relationship with their children.

“The secret here lies in spending time with your kids, communicating with them, and fostering a positive sense of self,” she said.

#16 Radicalized At 30

I so wish this wasn’t the one brand that helps my perpetually dry, painful skin. Thanks to this sub, I’ve been cutting open the containers to get every last bit that the pump “conveniently” can’t reach. I wish this was illegal.

#17 Offline Is The New Luxury In An Age Of Constant Digital Consumption

#18 $30 (400%) Price Difference For An Identical Product

#19 Ridiculous Packaging

#20 Netflix “Thanks” Me For 22 Years Of Membership

#21 Jumbo Plastic Tic Tac Box Filled With Mini Plastic Tic Tac Boxes

#22 College Move Out Day!

#23 Sick Of The Overwhelming Amount Of Mail I Receive Daily Decided To Make Art Out Of It

#24 Our Management Decided That We’re Not Allowed To Adjust Our Baking Volumes On Our Own

#25 I Hate It Here

#26 The 4.4 Trillion Dollar Company Needs Another Revenue Source

#27 You Know The Craze Is Over When

#28 Unethical Companies Stopping ‘Undesirables’ From Using Their Clothes

#29 I Made This Timeline About A Year Ago And I Think It Will Forever Be Relevant

#30 The Type Of Thing You Would See Evil Corporations Do In Cartoons

#31 Finally, An Ad I Can Agree With

#32 Heb Raised The Price By Covering The Old, Lower Price With A “Low Price” Tag

#33 We’re Expected To Ditch Plastic Straws But This Is Somehow Okay?

#34 Kohls Makes You Walk Through Two Aisles Of Impulse Buying Junk Before You Get To The Cash Registers

#35 Thrifted Find From The Target Of Old

I thrifted this Target branded sweater today and the quality difference between this piece and(100% Shetland wool) and their clothing today is absolutely wild. I mean, I’m amazed. I had no idea their clothing was ever a solid quality.
It’s sad that one day the thrift stores will be entirely SHEIN items…

#36 Not That Long Ago, Textiles Lasted Us (Almost) A Lifetime

#37 I Sewed The Broke Handle Of My Backpack Instead Of Buying A New One

#38 Mr Beast Chocolates Not Selling At 90% Off Will Expire Soon And End Up In A Landfill Hypes Over

#39 Quite A Good Sentiment About Gratitude. Our Society Always Pushes Us To Want More

#40 Botox Is Nbd And Fun

#41 No You Don’t Understand, Consumerism Used To Be Wholesome Chungus!

#42 If It Ain’t Food Or A Candle Dont Slap Food Scents

#43 Ever Wonder What Happened To Folks Who Panic Hoarded Tp During Covid? They’re Still Stuck With It

#44 What Shein Sent My Roommate

My roommate orders from SHEIN a couple times a year and I can’t stop her but recently she’s been getting weird stuff before her packages come like this.
Just more plastic before she receives her plastic clothes wrapped in plastic!
Update: She got her items a few days later

#45 Reused Crayons

We collect old, used, and broken crayons from my kids’ schools and make these new ones! The silicone candy molds were given to me from a friend. They are easily cleaned and used again and again. Can curate a cute little gifts for folks between color selection and the mold choice. Kiddos love making them too.

#46 No Amount Of Recycling On An Individuals Part Will Undo The Waste Made By A Single Walmart

Door dash and spark make it worse bc whatever doesn’t get picked that day get tossed in the morning.
Nothing less then town wide, city wide, county wide efforts will make a difference. Its really sad. I want to be proven wrong.

#47 We Throw Away 200+ Lbs Of Clean Rubber Every Week

#48 I Have Literally Been Using The Same Laundry Basket Since I Was In High School

#49 If It Helps I Guess

#50 Removing Branding With 70% Isopropyl Alcohol

#51 Who Designs Lotion Containers??

#52 Trash Has Gotten So Bad In Congo, Artists Started Making Clothes & Sculptures From It

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, artists are redefining waste by transforming discarded plastic, scrap metal, and tangled wires into extraordinary wearable art. Materials once abandoned in rivers and streets are reimagined as bold, sculptural creations showcased in parades, performances, and public gatherings, where fashion becomes a powerful form of expression.
What started as a creative response to limited resources has grown into a symbol of resilience and imagination. Every piece reflects the ability to create beauty from what others throw away, while questioning overconsumption and celebrating local ingenuity. More than fashion, Congo’s trash couture is a powerful blend of art, innovation, and environmental awareness, proving that creativity can thrive in even the most challenging circumstances.
work of stephangladieu

#53 A Reminder During Vacation Season To Please Eat Before You Go To The Airport…

#54 Repurposed Microwave

#55 The Prices Go Up, And The Cereal Boxes Get Thinner. Duds For Scale

#56 There’s Nothing He Could Do To Make Me Buy A $9 Coffee

#57 Instead Of “Customers”, The Chipotle CEO Calls Them “Users”

#58 Walked Into Kroger Was Hit With Just Such Despair

#59 Sruff Given To My Kids For Valentine’s Day

#60 I’m Taking All The Tiny Plastic Stuff Around The House And Turning It Into Snow Globes

#61 Toilet Paper Rolls For $8 At Michael’s

#62 My Painting Called “Everything Is Disposable”

#63 Your Goodwill Donation Before It Comes To A Store

#64 Gold Chains

#65 8645 Candles Lit Yesterday. I Can’t Get Over The Candle Waste

This was from an anti-abortion protest, but let’s not get into cause. What do you think about waste from protests, can you excuse it? Of course it’s easy to condemn if the cause isn’t something one agrees on, but I feel like the most impactful ones are those where it’s the people that show up in mass to show their support. Not the ones where organizers pay big bucks for single-use junk with just a few supporters hanging around.

#66 Really Good Article About Why Ppl Feel Poor

#67 3 Tons Of Flooring Offcuts Headed To Landfill

Surely in this modern world of Robots, ‘aware’ computers & self-driving cars, we can think of better use for 3 tons of wood offcuts, than burying it?
This is from a flooring company, who do this every couple of weeks (or more); which equates to a minimum of 78 tons a year, from a single small business, with only a handful of staff.
Imagine the scale of waste worldwide!

#68 When Did April Fools Turn Into Actual Product Launches?

#69 “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” Bag Charm

#70 Whole Foods Selling Jam Jars With No Jam For The Same Price As Jam Jars That…include Jam

#71 Apparently Plastic Trinkets Are The New Way To Bond…

I just started a new job and I feel like I hit the work culture lottery.

Since the moment I stepped foot in the office on my first day, everyone has been super kind, supportive, approachable etc., and they all have great personalities that mesh together perfectly with mine. I get along with everyone so well, it’s insane. I can really see a future at that place.

Just one, tiny issue: this one coworker will not stop leaving these miniature, plastic ducks everywhere. They buy a huge pack with like 500 and litter the office with them. They’re all over the place, in every nook and cranny, and my coworker constantly gives me more to put on and around my desk. Not only are they completely and utterly useless, but they’re incredibly annoying as they constantly fall over all the time and do nothing but get in my way when I have to move my monitor, or my desk is packed with files. I’ve tried to arrange them on the deserted corner of my desk but no dice, they still infuriate me, and they’re just adding up little by little . My coworker is very kind and I like their personality a lot, so I don’t want to come off as a jerk, especially so early, because I recognize that this is their way of kind of “bonding” with me, and I appreciate that, I really do. But I don’t know, I guess I need to figure out a polite/subtle way to say “hey, quit giving me this wasteful, useless stuff”

#72 What Do You Americans Think About Big Pickups?

#73 Local Youtuber Thinks That Criticizing Overconsumption Is Sexist

#74 Ah Yes Because I Want Children’s Blood On My Hand

The notion that a natural diamond is in any way superior to a lab grown one is absolute malarkey! Their chemical composition is exactly the same! Sure they might have microscopic differences but the overall composition is not! I’m not really a diamond person anyway but what are your thoughts?

#75 Two Sad Things

Number one: trends end up at the thrift.
Number two: the thrift charges extra $$ for beat up, trendy items.

#76 Netflix Gives This “Error” Message Everytime I Try To Cancel My Membership

#77 My Parents Always Send A Toy Version When They Can’t Get The Actual Item In Time For My Birthday…

I have no kids nor children in my life. I have no use for the plastic versions. It’s “cute” symbolism, I guess, but it’s damn wasteful and gives me something else to have to deal with…

#78 After 1 Single Day Of Wear

#79 Bought From Etsy To Avoid Amazon, And It’s Still Coming Through Amazon

#80 Please See Image

#81 28k Original, 8K On Sale

#82 I Reused A Vanilla Bean Container For Ibuprofen For My Bag

#83 Home Cooking Because Fast Food Prices Are Straight Up Out Of Control

#84 Psa: Kindle Deletes Side Loaded Content When Connected To WiFi

Wife bought kindle for me as a present from the thrift for like $5. I Side loaded a bunch of books onto the device via my laptop. I Never connect to wifi on the device , I’m currently on a trip and mistakenly connected to wifi, 90% off my books were suddenly gone. I looked it up and apparently it’s built into the software that the kindle store/software recognizes non purchased content and removes/deletes it from the device(went wifi is enabled) It’s Bullshit because I’m on holiday and didn’t bring my laptop. I’ve got all the content backed so nbd. I should have been more careful. But it’s a prime example of how the internet trap can be used to manipulate our digital ownership. Lesson learned. Hope this helps someone else’s out.

#85 We Don’t Have To Destroy The Earth While Destroying Each Other

#86 Saw This On The Seattle Sub

#87 This Nut Broke The Nutcracker After 48 Years Of Service

#88 What Do Stores Like Walmart Do With Seasonal Clothes After The Season Ends?

#89 Roommate Still Has His First (And Only) USB-C Cord

#90 “I’ll Just Donate It”

Today as I was dumpster diving at a thrift store to recycle metal, I witnessed staff dump hundreds of champagne flutes and drinking glasses into the trash and turn them to dust. I watched bin after bin of them get tipped in, smashing almost all of them. This picture was only after a few bins of glasses, there were far more. The reality is that clear glassware and basic porcelain is not desirable, and the vast majority, regardless of condition, ends up in landfill. I wish people would be more mindful of this when deciding to purchase glasses. Also, anything personalized immediately ends up in the trash so all wedding favors and the like are goners if donated.

#91 Remember When A Company Tried Making Single-Use Dvds?

#92 When I Saw This I Was Repulsed

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