"When do you think being a consumer will stop being glamorized?" a Reddit user asked in the r/Anticonsumption community. The poster wanted to express their displeasure with a bizarre advertisement seemingly promoting consumerism.
The ad post, by retail company Sierra, showed a cart full of summer items such as shoes, a net, and a life jacket and was accompanied by text that said, "POV: you stop by Sierra to grab a water bottle … and end up with a full cart of summer savings."
The Reddit post received numerous comments that highlighted the negative nature of consumerism, and many users expressed their concerns over people's lack of knowledge on the harm that overconsumption can have on the planet. This is because many of the products we purchase eventually end up in landfill, which pollutes the environment.
Plastic waste is particularly problematic because it breaks down into microplastics, which have been found everywhere, including the oceans, inside the digestive tracts of fish, and even in human semen. Microplastics have also been linked to several health issues, including respiratory disorders and pregnancy complications. One recent study found that more than half of the world's plastic waste can be connected to 56 companies.
Many of the products we buy are also produced using dirty energy, which contributes to the release of harmful gases that are polluting our environment. By buying more products, we are supporting these companies and their harmful practices.
Reducing the amount we consume can have a great impact on the environment. Another way to reduce waste is to buy and sell secondhand apparel. There are some great organizations that support people in doing just that, including the online marketplace ThredUp. And if you need to purchase something new, you can also consider supporting brands with sustainable practices.
Raising awareness of the impact consumerism has on the environment can help people make better choices when they come across ads such as these. By doing so, we can help reduce the waste and pollution associated with buying unnecessary items.
"A lot of people are just uneducated about the effects of overconsumption," one commenter wrote, while another called out how impulse buying has been normalized in ads.
"The ads pretending to be normal posts is kinda unnerving in a way I can't explain," they said.
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