Many would argue that consumerism makes the world go round. Economies can boom through the money we spend on goods and services. Likewise, the rise in demand and desire for newer products can incentivize innovation and advancements.
However, we can’t ignore the ugly side and negative consequences. That’s where the Anticonsumption subreddit comes in. This online group of 1.5 million members is here to remind us that too much of anything is never healthy.
We’ve collected some photos from the group that feature facts about the current state of consumerism in society. This could be an eye-opening read for you.
#1 I Don’t Want To Connect My Coffee Machine To WiFi
Image credits: agroundhog
#2 Just Ran Across This, Thought I’d Share
Image credits: cupcakequeen02
#3 It Just Seems Like The Wrong Way To Enjoy Nature, Period
Mount Everest covered in waste, including 12,000 kilos (26,500 lbs) of human excrement
Image credits: AngeliqueRuss
We often refer to previous decades as “simpler times,” and there is no exaggeration here. People were more content with living within their means, not worrying about purchasing anything other than their basic necessities. This was especially true before the 20th century, according to historian Dr. Kerryn Higgins.
“Frugality and thrift were more appropriate to situations where survival rations were not guaranteed,” Dr. Higgins wrote in an article for the BBC.
#4 Well Isn’t This Ironic…
Image credits: weird_freckle
#5 Are These "Assets" Or Just Expensive Waste?
Image credits: RickyonHive
#6 Pointless Fad Consumerism Two-For-One
Image credits: Sgt-Yearly-Herring
According to Dr. Higgins, it all changed in the 1920s when industry leaders realized that “mass production is only profitable if its rhythm can be maintained.” She quoted a passage from a 1928 book written by public relations pioneer Edward Bernays, which stated that businesses “cannot afford to wait until the public asks for its product.”
By “maintaining constant touch” through advertising, propaganda, and other means of mass communication, industries at the time believed that having a continuous demand could be profitable.
#7 LOL Yes!
Image credits: yodamastertampa
#8 Artwork By Joan Chan
Image credits: Personal-Banana5723
#9 This Has Never Been More Relevant, To A Dying Planet Where Division And War Is The Norm
Embarrassed-Profit74:
The quote is actually from an Abenaki filmmaker, Alanis Obomsawin. She's still alive at the age of 92, and has made documentaries about indigenous people since the '70s. Canadians can find her work through the National Film Board of Canada and Knowledge Network. People outside Canada can probably find her films by asking for them at their local libraries, especially if they have Kanopy or Hoopla. I especially recommend: Richard Cardinal: Cry from the diary of a Metis Child, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, and Hi-Ho Mistahey!
Image credits: Dry-Communication996
Pretty soon, the powers that be exploited the wants and desires of consumers, describing them as “almost insatiable.” It motivated them to create an endless cycle of “newer wants” as fast as the buying public was satisfied.
As Dr. Higgins further explains, people’s desire for material things only grew, even if they didn’t have the same resources as those living in affluence did. It was the beginning of consumerism as we know it today.
#10 No One Bought These At $10.49 Per Dozen, So Now The Dumpster Gets To Eat Them
Every week I throw away so much food: eggs, sandwiches, milk. Hundreds of dollars worth. It's depressing. God forbid an employee take any of it, though.
Image credits: KingCarrotRL
#11 Capitalism: Convincing You To Buy Things To ‘Save’ Money
Image credits: p4r4d0x_sh4d0w
#12 I Heard We Were Doing Library Receipts
Image credits: DrFrankSaysAgain
It may no longer be relevant to ask how we got to the current state of consumerism. Perhaps, the better question to ask would be, “What can we do to break the cycle?” According to finance writer and minimalism advocate Joshua Becker, having less desire to upgrade our lives constantly is one approach.
“Only an intentional rejection of excessive consumerism can silence the call to constantly upscale lifestyle norms,” Becker wrote in an article for Forbes.
#13 I’m A Barbie Girl In A Plastic World
Image credits: Big_Manufacturer_253
#14 Real
Image credits: novagridd
#15 Interesting Analogy
Image credits: poemskidsinspired
A generous act always goes a long way. Not only does it help the individual in a significant way, but it also brings a sense of gratification for the person who does the good deed. But as Becker also points out, it’s also an effective way to reject consumerism.
“When we begin rejecting the temptation to spend our limited resources on ourselves, our hearts are opened to the joy and fulfillment found in giving our personal resources to others,” he stated.
#16 All Those Prime Day Boxes Come At A Cost
Image credits: RickyonHive
#17 This Makes Me Sick
Image credits: Whispy-Wispers9884
#18 The Amount Of Remaining Contents Before Bottles Stop Pumping And They Are Disposed Of
I don’t know how many people simply throw out their lotion bottles once lotion stops pumping from certain containers. We ourselves take the time remove the pump and scoop out as much as we can. I can only imagine the number of other bottles simply tossed out. Someone please engineer a way to get the most out of these bottles
Image credits: BunBunChow
#19 This Sh** Drives Me Crazy
Image credits: eattherich2246
#20 For Those Whos "Still" Live With Their Family
Image credits: NjPier
#21 They’ve Got To Be Joking. In Car Advertising
Image credits: Ti47_867
#22 Stay Informed Ignore Bulls**t
Image credits: CrazyAssBlindKid
#23 I Was Told This Art I Made Would Fit Here
Image credits: luxfatale
#24 I Made These Bags Out Of A Punctured Air Bed
Image credits: Bydanielpearce
#25 Unsold Balloons At The Dollar Store After Valentine’s Day. Several More Aisles Of This Not Shown
Had to push through a forest of strings as you walked through the store.
Image credits: Distantmole
#26 Netflix Raised Their Prices Again After Profiting Billions Last Year
Image credits: TheFantasticMissFox
#27 I Made A Poster To Put Up Around My Town
Image credits: Cosmic_Kitsune
#28 More Money In Our Pockets!
Image credits: frugalmistress
#29 Are Tariffs Actually A Good Thing?
Are tariffs are actually a good thing?
So yeah, economies will spiral out of control and people on the low end of the earning spectrum will suffer disproportionately, but won’t all this turmoil equate to less buying/consumption across the board?
Like, alcohol tariffs will reduce alcohol consumption, steel and aluminum tariffs will promote renovating existing buildings and reduce the purchase of new cars, electronics and oil refining are both expected to raise in costs. What about this is a bad thing if the overall goal is to reduce consumption and its impact on the environment?
Also, it’s worth noting that I am NOT right wing at all and have several fundamental problems with America’s current administration, but I feel like this is an issue they stumbled on where it won’t have their desired effects (localization of our complex manufacturing and information industries) but whose side effects might be a good thing for the environment (obviously this ignores all the other environmental roll backs this admin is overseeing)
Image credits: Architecteologist
#30 Unavoidable Bedding Plastic Makes Great Travel Shoe Storage
Image credits: Fun2Forget
#31 Because Buying $32 Shorts On TikTok Shop Is So Anti Capitalist
Image credits: vr1252
#32 A Farmer’s Market Selling… Labubu’s?
Image credits: PetalSoups
#33 Can’t Even Get Away From Ads At The Beach
Image credits: ibroughttacos
#34 Sigh
Image credits: vwizzy
#35 A Small Win
Image credits: Aurora1717
#36 Tsla Is Down Almost 28% Since Elon Did The Salute. He Has Already Lost $100billion Since December
Image credits: bruhlmaocmonbro
#37 My Library Knew Exactly What They Were Doing By Posting This On Economic Blackout Day
Image credits: MissMarionMac
#38 How Many Of These Useless Cup Things Are Thrown Out Every Sunday?
This is how communion is done at your typical Mega-Church
Image credits: Butyoutotallysuck
#39 Down With Logos
Image credits: KristinH03
#40 Prime Day Is A Massive Scam
I was looking at this speaker online at BestBuy, Amazon and other retailers two weeks ago. Everywhere had this item listed for $350 exactly with no special sale or anything. Now for “Prime Day” today, they are claiming this item is usually $400 base retail - which is a lie. They are raising the price and dropping it down near normal levels and calling it a sale. Ridiculous.
Image credits: Optoplasm
#41 After 18 Years Of Service, I Finally De-Branded My Reusable Shopping Bag
Image credits: 3q49gh9q34
#42 What Radicalized You?
Saw this at Target today. NINE DOLLARS for a clothespin? Stuff like this ramps up my anti-capitalist/anti-consumption feelings so much.
It DID inspire me to put a few things back on the shelf that I can probably find at yard sales or second hand stores instead, so I guess, thanks Target for the obscene cash grab attempt.
What's a moment you recall when corporate greed or rampant consumerism smacked you in the face?
Image credits: Interesting_Dingo_88
#43 New Jar Is Not Only 50ml Smaller, They Made It Useless For Canning With New Lid
Image credits: Rolldozer
#44 To Communicate With Doge You Now Need An X Account…i See A Slight Conflict Of Interest
Image credits: Willing_Anteater_339
#45 For The Boycotts
Image credits: Spirited_Ad_7973
#46 I Still Cancelled My Membership, But Their Ties Run Deep
Image credits: ty-fi_
#47 Imagine The Place You Died Being Used To Promote A Movie
Image credits: biebrforro
#48 You Know What Will Solve The Existential Dread Of Life Under Capitalism? A Bunch Of Gadgets
Image credits: WatchOutItsAFeminist
#49 Decided I Didn’t Need A $550 Espresso Machine
Image credits: itsjustafleshwound79
#50 What Else?
Image credits: _Memeking__
#51 How To Have Fun And Save Money
Image credits: kflox
#52 Creating Just To Keep Up? No Wonder It Feels Empty
Image credits: RickyonHive
#53 Found “Impulse Merchandising” Guide
Image credits: felicioso
#54 Big Tech Doesn’t Sell Products, It Sells Lifelong Dependencies, And Your Kids Are The Target
Image credits: RickyonHive
#55 My Favorite Way To Not Spend
Image credits: natfutsock
#56 It’s Happening
Image credits: SangTalksMoney
#57 Deathbed Confession
Image credits: colebette
#58 Stop Buying Future Garbage
Image credits: BikingVikingNick
#59 Democracy vs. Capitalism
Image credits: Vivid-Lightness-253
#60 Born To Consume, Trained To Comply
Image credits: anarchyrevenge
#61 Paid Off My Last Credit Card!
Image credits: unoffended_
#62 Nine-Ton Replica Of An Olmec Head Crushing A Model 3 (Url In Comments)
Sculptor Chavis Mármol has never owned a car, but that’s never inhibited his drive. Earlier this month, the 42-year-old Mexico City-based artist (who travels largely by bicycle) dropped a nine-ton replica of an Olmec head onto the roof of a blue Tesla Model 3 in a crushing display posted to Instagram on March 11. Mármol told Hyperallergic that his intention was “to satirize the Tesla brand and its creator."
Image credits: Western_Solid2133
#63 Quote From Raphael Cuomo's New Book On Addictive Behaviors And Health
Image credits: health_outcomes
#64 Disney Apparently Sells Blind Boxes Of Trash Can Pins
Image credits: GakoKerotan
#65 Buying Is The Little-Dopamine That Brings Total Bankruptcy!
Image credits: J0E_Blow
#66 My Bookshelf Of 27 Books After Selling/Donating About 2000 Books
I realised it’s READING that makes me happy, not OWNING an unnecessary amount of books. 📚
I’m not going to stop owning physical books completely (I love the feeling of paper books), but for every new book I get, an old one will have to go.
Image credits: [deleted]
#67 The Strike Left Philadelphia Buried In Garbage
Image credits: RickyonHive
#68 Reminder To Not Let "No Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism" Absolve Our Collective Guilt
Image credits: Skye_Melissax
#69 Can We Criticize Social Media's Impact On Kids While Still Using It Ourselves?
Image credits: RickyonHive
#70 Is This What The End Times Actually Look Like?
Image credits: RickyonHive
#71 Go Without
Image credits: Texas_Crazy_Curls
#72 Icon Of The Seas = Icon Of Gluttony
Image credits: LilyLeca
#73 A Perfect Illustration Of Why Gdp Is A Bad Indication Of The Quality Of Life Of A Population
Image credits: Critical-Tomato-7668
#74 Capitalism Hates This One Simple Trick. Economists Are Furious!
Image credits: p4r4d0x_sh4d0w
#75 What Happened Between Now And Then?
Image credits: diveonfire
#76 Love Seeing Restaurants Encouraging Their Patrons To Go Zero Waste!
Image credits: AwarenessMoist691
#77 At Least We Are Trying… Right?
Image credits: puuuu0
#78 Wall Street Journal: Richest 10% Of Americans Account For Nearly 50% Of Consumer Spending
Image credits: EncryptDN
#79 I Messed Up And Spent $200 During Today’s Blackout 🇺🇦
Image credits: papasan_mamasan
#80 What The Actual…
Image credits: 30FlirtyAndNapping
#81 Corporations Are Not Your Friends [oc]
Image credits: Smart_Dirty
#82 7.4% Drop! Wow
I’m delighted to have been proven wrong about the outcome. I explained the concept of the Economic Blackout to my children, emphasizing its purpose and significance. Although I was initially skeptical about its potential impact, we decided to participate regardless. Seeking clarity on February’s consumer spending, I turned to ChatGPT, preferring it over Google due to its concise and relevant responses and was pleasantly surprised by the results.
Image credits: tabbarrett
#83 Bring Their Stocks Down Further!
Image credits: ediblesleeve
#84 Ride A Bike. Take A Train Or Bus. Turn Down The Heat. F**k The Maga-Enabling Fossil Fuel Industry
Image credits: TakeATrainOrBusFFS
#85 Keep It Up. It’s Working. Boycott It All
Image credits: giannisismyman
#86 Amazon Echo Now Has To Send Recordings
Image credits: Flack_Bag
#87 Drone Photos From Elon Musk Protest At Tesla In Tucson, Az This Morning
Image credits: bgboydphoto
#88 Could A Universal Remote Control Turn Off Those Damned Screens?
Government in France asked people to lower the heaters in their home to reduce power consumption. But in the meantime, we've replaced everything with giant LCD screens, putting video ads absolutely everywhere in malls and subway corridors.
Could a universal remote control turn those off?
Image credits: MrLeureduthe
#89 Be Nice To Customer Service Reps, The Only People Getting Screwed Worse Than Us Is Them
Image credits: Electro-Art
#90 "Subtle Indicators Of Affluence" Makes Me Feel Sick
Image credits: istrebitjel
#91 Hello Mapquest, My Old Friend
Image credits: sarcodiotheca
#92 List Of Companies To Boycott
Image credits: Vast_Blacksmith_5224
