(Photo courtesy of NJ)
By Nicole Waweru
In a materialistic society, people tend to put all their priorities on money and other materialistic things when instead they should be giving top priority to things like values, ethics, and relationships, whether familial, romantic, or even friendships. It is sad that money has been placed on such a pedestal when in reality relationships should be the ones that matter because money can be consumed very quickly, and before you know it you have nothing, whereas relationships are forever.
The only reason these cultures are thriving today is money. Such communities can never last for an extended period. Once their belongings are taken from them, they will be lost in space. Only cultures that place an equal emphasis on wealth and relationships will be able to last a long time and remain healthy and happy. There should be more of these communities because they will aid in our progress and bring us peace of mind.
People today believe that materialism is the best path ahead. However, this is wrong. There is no reason for our society to become even more materialistic. This obsession with spending will only bring disaster if it continues. Children as young as 2-3 years old are now given smartphones since they are developing smartphone addictions at such a young age.
I was shocked when I heard that my younger nieces and nephews are staying indoors all day because they have the luxury of watching tv and playing with their PlayStations all day long. While reading about the topic of materialism, it is now that I have realised that the new generation is not in touch with play and their interpersonal skills could suffer from it. If you ask me, a child who is as young as ten years old, should not even own a smartphone. Why should they? They should be out there learning how to ride a bike and fall, play with mud, etc.
Children can no longer read and write on paper with a pen, do they even know how to put ink in an ink pen? I wonder. Now that they have laptops and smartphones, all of this job can be done for them. It is awful to observe that parents are unable to properly raise their young ones, this is the sad effect of materialism on their life. And it is even scarier to think that this might be even worse, five years from now, seeing that technology is continually advancing and the introduction of ‘Artificial Intelligence.’
Also, in today’s society, people have acquired enough money that they are unable to spend it wisely and end up spending it to purchase unnecessary items. Many young people have side hustles, which is a good thing, but how do they spend the money they acquire after sales? We see the young people, including myself sometimes going on a splurge and buying all the coolest fits in the market to stay current.
his is also seen in the newest electronics that hit the market almost monthly. Every day, the most recent smartphones are introduced by all smartphone manufacturers. We frequently encounter these commercials on television when watching news networks or sporting events. It is sad to see that materialism is greatly after the youth, which even goes down to their parents. If they do not receive what they want, they grow angry and may even do something extreme, like commit suicide.
Materialism in society has led to depression and a serious deterioration in the mental health of a lot of people, because people are always putting up a show of false happiness, demanding other people’s approval of whatever they own and a quick judgment of others. This is now accepted in society as the norm. The world has become a fraud because people have grown far too materialistic with themselves. Happiness is one of the things in this world that cannot be purchased with money, we must learn from the past and begin making physical connections with others.
In conclusion, society should cease focusing on gaining wealth and instead concentrate on improving their interpersonal relationships with others. People need to understand that in this world, money is not important, families and friends are. So, we need to start living simply and spend less on pricey, unnecessary stuff. Hope this piece will help you look within yourself and ask yourself what matters to you, money or relationships? You decide.