BY KRIS MANUEL
Like most people, I shop; but sometimes shopping makes me a little anxious.
Walking down mall corridors, bright sale signs catch my eye and mannequins wearing flashy new trends are displayed behind every glass window.
I walk into a store and there are different coloured sections of clothing at every turn and shelves lined with all kinds of items to purchase.
Everything is demanding my attention and I don’t know where to look first. It can be hard to focus and overwhelming.
That’s what our society is like today. Every day we are faced with countless consumer options. Advertisements are everywhere from inside your home to outside on the streets while waiting for the bus.
There’s always something new. The cycle never stops.
There’s always a constant demand for corporations to compete with other brands or even compete with their own products. Whether it’s a newer and better iPhone, Mac or iPod, sometimes all they have to do is change the size and each time, people can’t wait to upgrade their gadgets to a new launch or version.
And I’ll admit, I do sometimes find myself lost in consumerism, spending what money I have on more stuff I don’t need.
The Internet has made everything easier, from looking up a phone number or address, to communicating with people anywhere around the world.
But the Internet can also be a huge distraction. From Facebook to YouTube, online surfing is what most of us do to pass the time.
In today’s society, children have actually caught up to our tech-savvy generation.
When I was their age I used to have Beanie Babies. Now, children can play Beanie Babies games on an iPhone app. It used to be if children were bored, they could play in the park or colour in a colouring book. Now it’s Facebook or touch-screen gizmos.
In the company of friends, at least one person will play games on her phone or update her Facebook status, but we won’t think of it as a big deal – it’s become a normal part of our society.
We’ve become so distracted with all the new technology and hype that we forget what life was like without it. We sometimes forget to appreciate the little things we have in life, a clear sign that we have too much.
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