Walking down the street of good old Boca Raton, you ever wonder why so many women have the same freakin’ pink or blue Gucci purse or why so many men have cars with $2-$5,000 rims that must be worth twice, maybe three times more then the cars they are on?
Such necessity to have a specific item is simply the basis for American Consumerism. Such products can range from cell phones, to cars, to purses, to watches, etc. The purpose of this article is to explain why so many people buy so much useless crap. There is one major factor behind all of this…social classification.
Social classification can easily be explained with the notion, “We all want to fit in.” Which is true; human beings have an innate instinct to wish to fit into a specific social class. To be included into a specific class we sometimes buy the same stuff we see members of a specific class have.
An example of this idea is how individuals who want to be classified in the “gothic group” buy all black clothes, wear huge chains and put on black make-up, or so my observations have led me to believe. For some infinitely stupid reason, rims are a major classifier of how “cool” you are or how “gangsta” you are. I know people who drive the ugliest cars with the nicest rims. I know people who drive cars with $5,000 rims who live in trailer parks.
Another major classifier is Gucci purses. Ladies (and possibly some gentlemen), ask yourselves this: did you by the Gucci purse you have because you really liked it, or simply because your friends would be in awe of you if you got it?
The point is that the necessity to fit into specific groups and/or social classes has forced people into buying so much useless crap they don’t need and at times don’t even really want. Yet to fit in, we must have what everyone else has.
Until our society learns how to stop being so superficially judgmental, people will keep consuming socially classifying materials in order to express a preferred image, an image that hides who they truly are. When our society finally nurtures the concept of “true image” and bans the concept of “consumer image,” only then will people stop buying so much useless crap. But until that day comes, I’m going to put on my Tommy Hilfiger khakis, give a call to my girlfriend with fake breasts while driving my new Lexus to the nearest Starbucks.
“You are not your job. You are not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You are not the contents of your wallet. You are not your f&*@ing khakis.” -Tyler Durden, Fight Club.
Walter is a 22-year-old Psychology grad student who works as a data entry/filing executive. His favorite places to shop: Ross, Target, and Walmart. Least favorite places to shop: Town Center Mall and any “big” mall.
