earlier this month, the new york times ran a piece on self-storage units in the united states of america.  while reading the story, i was again reminded of how much we love our stuff.  just notice some of these highlights:

• the united states now has 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space. (the self storage association notes that, with more than seven square feet for every man, woman and child, it’s now “physically possible that every american could stand — all at the same time — under the total canopy of self-storage roofing.”)
• fifty percent of [self-storage] renters are now simply storing what won’t fit in their homes — even though the size of the average american house had almost doubled in the previous 50 years, to 2,300 square feet.
• by 2007, a full 15 percent of customers told the self storage association they were storing items that they “no longer need or want.” it was the third-most-popular use for a unit and was projected to grow to 25 percent of renters the following year.
• between 1970 and 2008, real disposable personal income per capita doubled, and by 2008 we were spending nearly all of it — all but 2.7 percent — each year. meanwhile, the price of much of what we were buying plunged. even by the early ’90s, american families had, on average, twice as many possessions as they did 25 years earlier. by 2005, according to the boston college sociologist juliet b. schor, the average consumer purchased one new piece of clothing every five and a half days.
• “human laziness has always been a big friend of self-storage operators,” derek naylor, president of the consultant group storage marketing solutions, told me. “because once they’re in, nobody likes to spend all day moving their stuff out of storage. as long as they can afford it, and feel psychologically that they can afford it, they’ll leave that stuff in there forever.”

you can read the whole article here: the self-storage self.

consumerism is an economic theory that states an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable (merriam-webster). 

it is most often associated with the western world, but is true of far more economic systems around the world than just the west.  consumerism began its great ascent after the industrial revolution when goods could be manufactured in great quantities, at lower prices, and delivered to the masses.   

consumerism has its advantages:

1. the consumer chooses his/her lifestyle – what goods are necessary and what luxuries can be afforded.
2. the opportunity to enjoy this world (food, drink, entertainment) in various quantities.
3. economic advantages to a large segment of the population (middle- and upper-class).
4. the opportunity and motivation to improve your social standing by working hard.

but consumerism also has its disadvantages:

1. in a capitalistic market aimed at selling, certain trends may emerge. it is in the interest of producers that the consumer’s needs and desires never be completely or permanently fulfilled, so the consumer can repeat the consumption process and purchase more products.  this can be accomplished with made-to-break products, continuously changing the trends of the market (i.e.: fashion), employing class-envy, encouraging individuals to purchase above their means.
2. in a consumeristic society, people begin to seek money/goods as the greatest good rather than influence or helping others.
3. consumerist societies are more prone to damage the environment and use up resources at a higher rate than other societies.
4. in consumeristic societies, the upper- and middle-class typically benefit at the expense of the lower-class or other non-consumeristic societies.

this piece is not written in support or opposition to the theory of consumerism.  it is meant only to provide both sides of the argument in an effort to further understanding of our society.  ideally, it will cause some to rethink their blind support of consumerism and others to rethink their blind disdain for it.

how have you seen our consumeristic society play out any of the advantages of disadvantages above?