Do you think commercialism/materialistic tendencies will turn?

[NotMissMaterialistic]

Personally, I can't wait to see the back of it. A move back to make do and mend, generic items rather than branded, a more eco approach. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Hand me downs and not updating car/tech/house decs etc just for the sake of it/to keep up with trends/the Joneses?

Do you think the tide will ever turn?

No, not while so many cheap goods are available. And globally it's increasing and will increase even more.

I'm waiting for the trend to be frugal/live modestly comes in 😂

I've seen some vids on fb about normalizing living in a small house, but those still look like insta houses to me, not normal homes.

I feel like there is a movement towards it, but not enough to change the entire global tide.

For example where I live there are now several lending libraries where you can borrow things for DIY etc. You pay a joining fee and then everything is free. There are also many repair cafes which run free of charge. Nearly all the families I know got/get the majority of their clothes, baby stuff etc from places like marketplace and vinted. The chats in the playground are about how to get grandparents and other family to respect that the kids don't need a tonne of 'stuff' for Christmas and birthdays. People shop in charity shops. Many families used reusable nappies and those that didn't at least used reusable wipes. There's a real normalising of cycling rather than driving. I don't know anyone here who's bothered about what phone/laptop/tv they have. This is all so standard where I am now that sometimes I forget that we're in a bubble and this isn't the way it is everywhere. Sometimes just going to another district of the same city I'm astounded at how different the mentality is. We're set to move next year and this is one of my biggest concerns about the whole thing tbh, here we 'fit', politically, environmentally, materialistically. Think it's going to be quite jarring to leave. I travelled to the states a few years ago and was amazed at how much they were still using polystyrene cups for drinks, everything was disposable. It was very eye opening, and sad. Same in Asia. So much stuff.

I'm hopeful it can happen. Think about things like taking reusable carrier bags, moving away from coal etc it's the norm now. But it's slow, and local. Doesn't feel it will be enough.

Have you seen "underconsumption core" on social media? It's all about this stuff. It doesn't make big companies money so I can't imagine it'll ever be as in your face as advertising is though.

I don't think it's an either / or situation. I make do and mend, and use up what I have. But I rarely buy anything second hand. I buy the best I can afford and value it and make it last. A less, but better mentality.

Most of the Insta ‘small house’ accounts are ridiculous - try living in a genuinely tiny (but lovely to me) house because that’s what you can afford.

Oh the paper plate/plastic cutlery and cups that I see in American videos is horrific.

Also, how fucking lazy must you be that you can't wash up some plates and cutlery each day 😶
Not everyone in those videos is disabled.

That makes sense and is a different thing to just buying loads of stuff for the sake of it. Like people that change their living room colour scheme every few months or a different Christmas theme each year, I find that so ridiculous and wasteful.

I agree with this. We live in a flat because it's what we can afford. When looking at the tiny homes movement a flat feels like not the 'right kind' of tiny home. It has to be detached and perfectly proportioned and beautiful. It's another kind of unobtainable consumerism.

I don't think so, unfortunately. Human nature always favours excess and has done since forever (consider Roman orgies!) A lack of materialism has historically happened when necessity has dictated it, which it often/mostly did. The only way I can see it coming back is if cost of living, war or climate issues force people.

No. Sadly.

Those suffering real deprivation might not want to make do and mend when they become financially better off. Make do and mend and the frugal mindset might be largely made up of the MC virtue signalling.

Sadly no time soon. Many people, including several of my relatives, are still obsessed by buying stuff and don't want to listen to my attempts to stop them. It's honestly crazy. Just armfuls of tat.

'Make do and mend' was from financial necessity or lack of availability (during and after war) rather than for altruistic or eco-friendly reasons. People simply didn't have the money to throw away something and buy another. If the item had any life left in it, then it would be mended, re-used or repurposed in every way possible. Nobody wasted anything.

Unless we reach a time like that again, consumerism and greed for the shiny new thing will win the day.

No, theres too many people who want to keep up with the Joneses - but the Joneses aren't just the neighbour anymore they are people all over the world.

I actually can't bear to go into shops like The Range, to see all that cheap tat just piled high. I mean in my head I know that's what Next warehouse or Amazon, or in fact any shop warehouse looks like but to see it all just sat there and to know all of it will be in landfill within 5 years if not before. - perhaps that's better, perhaps we've become more materilistic because we don't see it piled up and just order from our phones.

A bit like the disconnect we have with supermarkets and where our food actually comes from.

Yes, but for bad reasons - people don't understand what is going to hit us with climate change. Shortages of raw materials, water and food are already here and will intensify.

I'd prefer it to happen by choice, because the relentless consumerism is making us miserable.

I wish, but advertising and consumerism are very powerful forces.

We have got to the stage of plastic grass now OP.

Meaning people now vacuum the lawn!

I think we are far, so far, from consumerism being over, or even reduced.

I reckon we will get to the stage of plastic trees that people will paint the leaves different colours of the seasons.

And then people will get competitive over the shades of copper paint, and there will be low brow cheap glittery copper paint and the farrow and ball copper for a more "natural" hue on your plastic trees.

No it will never ever end.

I am currently reading At Home, by Bill Bryson, and the Chippingdale furniture was possible because of open trade routes and we could get our hands on mahogany wood, which could be carved unlike oak, hence the new beauty in furniture making

That wood was chopped to extinction, no one will be able to produce furniture as strong or carvable ever again.

So even second hand, antique, desired, high brow, acceptable consumerism is still consumerism. Doesn't matter what you do now. So embrace or ignore. What other choices are there?

I can't believe the people will buy so much Halloween crap. Happy Halloween doormats, duvet covers. Madness

I fantasise about this.
But I can't see it happening en masse.
Perhaps those little communities will slowly grow to be a more substantial movement, but we don't really make space (physically or socially) for alternative lifestyles. Just keeping your head above water costs so much, which in turn requires us to do all the conventional hamster wheel things indefinitely.

I agree with many of the statements that have already been made. I would love for us as a society to move away from consumerism and even Capitalism, as I don't believe it makes us happy... but that is easy for me to say from my MC, relatively comfortable and educated position. It's a choice I am in a privileged position to make.

The fact is that even if we have this forced on us due to necessity as a result of climate change and resulting shortages, people will always strive for 'more' and 'better' stuff. It's what has led us to this point in the first place. Whole civilisations have been built and fallen on it and will probably continue to do so.

And while the likes of Shien and Temu exist, we don't stand a chance. Change needs to be at governmental level... and no western, capitalist government and economy is going to shoot itself in the foot!