The Culture Of Living In Excess

Take a good look around you and will observe how technology advancement has changed our world. Today, we live in a society of gadgets, of toys of different sizes and for different ages, of  things that evoke feelings of luxury, style and class. 

This is available to almost everyone, not just a privileged few. Welcome to the 21st century where even a barrow pusher uses an android phone.

No other time of the year is it more prevalent, conspicuous and aggressively promoted than during the Christmas season and obviously we are already in 'ember' months.

Thanks to advances in technology, the Social Media, both the Print and electronic media are flooded with advertisements that are tempting and appealing to our society in general, to people from all walks of life.

Visit your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, open any newspaper or magazine and indulge yourself with endless advertisement, appealing, titillating and surely tempting. You can’t miss it, it’s almost in every page and glares you in the face.

Turn on the computer and you can access more goods and services at the click of a mouse.

Our young generation is brought up in this era of consumerism. We are introduced to a high maintenance lifestyle at a very young age.  Gone are the days when shopping from our parents was fun. When just buying an icecream by the roadside was enough.  A time when it did not take much to make our young little hearts happy. Life was simpler.

Times have surely changed. The trappings of good life is no longer the sole domain of the wealthy. Comfort, travel, wheels, homes, luxury, name it, it is within the reach of anyone who is willing to pay the price. It is no longer just a dream.

This is just the beginning of the conspicuous consumption of our society. In the name of convenience, there are more and more gadgets for the home introduced faster than one can pay off existing debt. However, this is not a deterrent.

It is no longer a matter of meeting a need, the “want” list gets longer and longer. Each member of a family has their own want list.

Technology is wonderful; it allows man to take great strides, faster and more accurate than our forbears. Technology makes it possible for man to explore space, the depths of the ocean, the untrodden parts of this earth. Through technology, man has made incredible advances in science, communication and the medical field. Technology is of great benefit to mankind.

It is very much a part of our daily lives but there is a downside- man wants more of the convenience that comes with it. It fuels the imagination of both producers and consumers. It stimulates the need to want more. It encourages the desire to pamper  oneself, and loved ones with more goods.

Having more than what we need promotes a sense of living the good life. For every season, for every occasion, the market offers boundless  ideas and endless flow of material goods. Beware, quality is slipping down too fast, as production and advertisement are cranked up higher, some of the quality is compromised.

The convenience that technology offers is hard to ignore. How did we manage before, when most of the chores were done manually? Imagine the time spent to get anything done?

Take a look around the house, push a button to get laundry or the dishes done. Press another button to start the car before you open the door. Wouldn’t you be lost without that remote control?

The quest for material goods is at excessive proportions. It hits the very core of a  person. Some can only measure success relative to their material possessions. Some identify their self-worth with material acquisitions. The words 'status, and 'prestige' are medals they wear proudly. Rightly so, if it makes them happy.

How much of these goods are on credit? How many sleepless nights are spent doing endless calculations and adjustments? Is there room for a quiet time that comes at no cost? Or do they experience that feeling of emptiness amid a comfortable surroundings?

Does this culture of excessive living brings happiness and peace?


Written by Emmanuel Aniagoh