Teens and Consumerism

Fill in the gaps with words / expressions from

the list below:

Some people spend ………. spending. Their wardrobe …………. of clothes they never
…………. . Others splash out …………… they can’t afford. It’s a problem that was already
……………. as a mental disease in America. It is probably …………. we do the same here.
Occasionally all of us have already bought something that we ………….., a pair of
shoes that didn’t ………………, a T-shirt that ……………….. so good …………. of the shop
and so on. These are usually ……………….., but for some people shopping can become
a ……………….., an addiction as powerful as any other ………….. In the beginning they go
shopping because they feel …………….. and they hope …………….. themselves up by
buying some extra. Then it will become as …………….. as any other drug. The
depression and anxiety will ……………. as people become ………………. in a downward
spiral of debt and …………... And the more depressed the bigger the need of going
shopping; people go shopping as others drink alcohol or use any other drugs. They
look for self-…………. but can only find emptiness.
Yet, is it fair to consider it a disease? Shouldn’t we resist the …………. to
classifying every human ………….. as a psychiatric condition? Nobody is forced to buy
what they don’t ………….. Why should the …………….. support addictions? People can
quite well help …………… by cutting the …………… of their own credit cards.

recognized themselves weakness drugs trapped out is

full wear for the sake of cheer misjudgments didn’t look
didn’t need satisfaction time tendency on things
compulsion low need credit increase quite fit
despair taxpayers compulsive
 (Key –words appear in the following order in the text: for the sake of, is full, wear, on things, recognized, time,
didn’t need, quite fit, didn’t look, out, misjudgments, compulsion, drugs, low, cheer, compulsive, increase, trapped,
despair, satisfaction, tendency, weakness, need, taxpayers, themselves, credit)