Small Essay on Consumerism

     Consuming and consuming is going to leave us with nothing left. Most materials on this planet, such as metals and plastic, are not going to last forever. Depleting our resources to build more and more junk for people to buy at a big box retailer is going to land us in trouble, and it's already happening. I don't want to focus on that so much though, I want to offer some nice alternatives that can give us the satisfaction of consumerism, without so many of the drawbacks.

     1. Libraries

     Libraries are a fantastic way to consume things, and it's not just books! They have movies, music, documentaries and even some video games. Going to a library and picking out what you want satisfies that "need to shop" without actually buying anything. It's like retail therapy, but you've spent nothing. And when you're done with it, you can just bring it back and you don't have to worry about it cluttering up your house.

     2. Digital Media

     The digital age can really go a long way in saving resources when it comes to consuming. Almost any form of media product can now be free from a physical format, meaning there's hardly any material used to make it, and no need to waste energy to ship it around. Just please remember to be a responsible consumer on the electronics needed to enjoy these digital formats!

     3. Buying used

     Buying used stuff is an adventure. Clothing, furniture, games, exercise equipment, tools...anything! Never forget these things can be found used for much cheaper. Thrift stores have all sorts of interesting things in them. The key is to focus on functionality and not brand names or trends. Buying used lets you consume and conserve at the same time. 

     The goal here is to stop waste. There's plenty to go around if we do it right, and doing right doesn't have to be drastically different from what we're doing now.