Consumerism

At the G20 economic summit in London recently, a lady protester carrying a placard was interviewed. She said that she was tired of being looked upon as a consumer. That struck a chord with me.

A few years back, I abandoned my subscription to Consumer Reports magazine for much the same reason. Although it is an excellent publication, it does help to perpetuate the idea that we are first and foremost consumers. There's more to life than that.

See here the dictionary entry for "consume":

1.

to destroy or expend by use; use up.
2.
to eat or drink up; devour.
3.
to destroy, as by decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.
4.
to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.
5.
to absorb; engross: consumed with curiosity.
6.
to undergo destruction; waste away.
7.
to use or use up consumer goods.

So that's it? Note the word "destroy". Critics point out that rampant consumerism is destroying our way of life and our planet. The main purpose of the media is to serve this consumerist god. The medium is the message indeed.