CONSUMERISAM AND A CALL TO A THEOLOGY OF ENOUGH (Adapted from the project CONSUMERISM AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS- A Study at Chandigarh

presented for UESI staff training) Introduction: Deu: 8:10-14 & II Cor 8: 13, 14 Advertising and marketing have shaped the behaviour and psychological profile of the people of the world. Consumerism is at the crux of a number of important issues affecting the nations and the world. Youth and students are often victims to it. Current levels of consumption are destructive and unsustainable. Understanding the effects of consumerism may be important to reverse the trend of increasing consumption. Consumerism is a concern within society and students community in particular. Students are particularly susceptible to the seductive abuse of consumerism, only having known a world where ads are ever-present, where brands signify acceptance or rejection and where banks fall over themselves to lend you the cash to participate in this divine ritual. The habits, attitudes and practices of consumerism have woven themselves so intricately into the life of students that it is extremely difficult to see what is wrong with it. Almost every aspect of student's lives is commercialised, press-ganged into service for the profit of corporations and their shareholders. Their fashions, hairstyles, phones, desires, insecurities, clothes, language, rebellious instincts...all these and more are used by corporations to make money. The meaning & definition of Consumerism Consumerism is the belief that personal wellbeing and happiness depends to a very large extent on the level of personal consumption, particularly on the purchase of material goods . A consumerist society is one in which people devote a great deal of time, energy, resources and thought to consuming. The general view of life in a consumerist society is consumption is good, and more consumption is even better. Some others defined consumerism essentially as a never-ending desire to possess material goods and to achieve personal success. Others have defined consumerism as having rather than being. Your worth and value are measured by what you have rather than by who you are. It is buying into a particular lifestyle in order to find your value, worth, and dignity. Consumerism seems to promise fulfillment is merely an illusion. In a consumer society what we buy is not strictly necessary, because we have lost any meaningful sense of what is necessary, and of what is superfluous. Those who do not possess certain goods are perceived to be deviant or to be pitied: imagine living without a telephone or car. These goods have only been available to most people for the last 100 years (at the most), but to intentionally lack them is to invite scorn, incomprehension and derision. Consumerism extends beyond simply "having" a good, service or experience. It extends to the search, the quest, the journey for those goods, services and experiences. Having is not enough - there is always another consumer product or experience to be had. There is always a more satisfying toothbrush, shoe, diet, holiday experience, electric tool. The fact that this process is never-ending means that, the actual product is not as important as the ongoing search. Evil effects of consumerism: 1. Rich getting richer; poor getting poorer: 2. Consumption of resource of future generation: 3. Destruction to ecosystem: Consumerism demands wide range of products. In way of this a lot of articles that create harm to the ecosystems are to be used. One best example is polythene.

Factors influencing consumerism: 1. Advertisement 2. Influence of Friends 3. Influence of celebrities 4. Individualism 5. Easy availability of credit 6. Discount cards: 7. Branding: Branding is about investing a logo with certain qualities and characteristics. If consumers can then be 'infected' with this logo and its associated qualities, then they will be more likely to buy the product. Biblical Perspective about Consumerism: 1. Truth from Yahweh's dealing with world 2. Old Testament Principles 3. Jesus' life style 4. Apostolic actions teaching: Findings or conclusion from the analysis. 1. Most of the students in Chandigarh are drawn by consumerism. 2. Atleast 50 % of the student community is under the false belief that brand matters a lot to them and give them acceptance. 3. Most of the students also have a view that they need a lot of products for their day to day life. 4. Most of the students spend lot of money shopping fashion items and clothing 5. Student community can save about 10 to 20 % of their income if they cut their unnecessary shopping 6. Most of the students have a false assumption that consumerism is healthy for society. This study shows that even though students are not very much into the trap of consumerism, slowly slowly consumerism is creeping in. This is the time when the student community in Chandigarh is educated about the evil effect of Chandigarh and help them to come out of this trap and enable them to live a simple and decent life. Remedial measures: I. Selfless lifestyle: II. Responsible consumerism III. Educational Activities Sources:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Consumerism, Faith And Young People, By Dave Fagg, Youth Research Officer, Revolve, Yfc Australia Consumerism As A Source Of Structural Violence, Sue Mcgregor, Phd Consumerism, Final Draft August 2009 , Author Anonymous Consumerism, Nature, And The Human Spirit, By N E A L D. E M Er A L D Consumerism, Kerby anderson, Probe Ministries Consumerism In World History, Peter N. Stearns Consumerism- Christian Reflection A Series In Faith And Ethics Baylor University Christ and Consumerism, Craig Bartholomew and Thorsten Moritz

Prepared by Benalin.C.R (UESI staff for Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Contacts: benalin.eu@gmail.com , 9935736571(UP) You are welcome to follow my blogs: www.benalin.wordpress.com & www.benalinqt.wordpress.com.