I look at the Tim Horton’s coffee cup sitting before me. I see the BC and Canadian governments supporting a corporation through my student loan. I think ahead to my first pay cheque as a teacher and see the same Tim Horton’s cup, but this time it has a Roll Up the Rim to Win, and still see a provincial government supporting a corporation through my pay cheque. Am I only a consumer? Destined to buy stuff (groceries, cars, a house) with whatever funding I have?
Is my sole purpose to consume? Whether I am a teacher, doctor, cab driver, or a bee keeper, I’ll earn a pay cheque, for whatever value my toils are worth, and then I’ll need to buy stuff to live.
If I spawn forth little me’s, will they be destined to the same fate as a consumer? I can inspire them and support them to become whatever they want just so that they can earn a pay cheque. With that pay cheque, they will purchase the necessities, or frivolities, of life.
Consumers.
Are we really anything more than consumers?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I choose to believe we are more than consumers!!!
ReplyDeleteI partially and this is probably not correct, but I see consumerism as giving into what is popular or hip. (No, I am not 80, but I did just use the term hip!)
I think that since we live in a highly urbanized society that we can not avoid consuming things. We don't have the resources that we used to, in order to produce our own goods and make the things we require. It is inevitable for us to have to purchase things, I think that we just need to make these decisions wisely and then we will be able to feel satisfied.
We are consumers. There isn't really anything we can do about it because I'm assuming most people don't sit on the side of the road naked with no food, shelter, or belongings. We live in a society where we can't really survive if we don't consume. I think as well as consume we also produce therefore in part we are giving back. Like you said we get a job to get a pay cheque but we're also doing work in order to get that cheque and what we are doing has to have some sort of affect on someone or something. So I guess it is more of a balance between consuming and producing. Maybe not quite a balance, but you know!
ReplyDeleteI think it is also important to look at WHAT you are spending your money on. As parents and teachers we will advise children to be careful and realistic, to not be impulsive and frivolous. I remember having a CALM (Career and Life Management) class in high school where I was taught to manage my money so that I could make ends meet and still have something left over to do what I wanted with it. Yes, regardless of what I did with it I would eventually become a consumer, but I think that if I were to spend all my money on nice cars and toys then I would be an idiot consumer, whereas if I were to spend it, in moderation, on food, clothing, shelter and other necessities, then I would be a wise consumer and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't think we need to see consumerism as being something negative because there's no way we could survive without it, but I do think that being aware of how much and what we buy is most important and that is what we need to be sure that we are teaching the children, whether they be students or the ones we "spawn".
ReplyDelete