Companies spend millions each year on advertising online in magazines and on billboards. These advertisements can encourage people to buy things that they do not need. What are the positive and negative side effects of consumerism? 

Nowadays consumerism has boomed following decades of massive industrialisation and increase in goods production. The emergence of aggressive advertising has further elevated consumerism to unprecedented levels. Like everything in life consumerism has both advantages and disadvantages and this essay will discuss this trend in detail before reaching a conclusion. On the one hand, the rising overconsumption of goods has positive effects on the economy, companies and individuals. Firstly, it generates revenue from rising sales, which in turn contribute to economic growth. Secondly, consumerism encourages competition between companies and manufacturers who do their best to produce high quality goods that satisfy even the most demanding customers. Last but not least, there has been a rapid increase in job opportunities driven by the growth of companies that have reinvested their profits into development. For example, the renowned retailer Amazon opened branches across the world generating thousands of jobs for local residents. Thus, it can be argued that overconsumption has numerous benefits for both individuals and businesses. On the other hand, aggressive advertising of goods on social media, TV and print media has aggressively promoted overconsumption. People of all ages are bombarded with advertisements on a daily basis and often purchase items that they do not need. As a consequence, numerous individuals exhibit compulsive buying behaviour and overspend on extravagant branded clothes, cars or jewellery, which drives many of them into bankruptcy. Moreover, the trend towards mass production of goods has negatively impacted the environment through increased land use, deforestation and air pollution. Therefore, it is crystal clear that consumption has a negative impact on the mental health of individuals and the environment. In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages to consumption. Although people are often encouraged to purchase things that they do not need, there are positive aspects related to overconsumption such as economic growth, competition and employment opportunities.