Article writing Q4.Due to growing materialism, there is a shift in the values of youngsters. They continue pestering their parents for items like mobile phone, digital camera, bike, etc. for personal use even though there is no genuine need for these gadgets. Taking help from the MCB unit 'Children', write an article in about 120 words expressing your views on the same. You are Sunil.
Answers
Growing Materialism among the Youth
By Sunil
In times like today there are so many helpless people out there fighting in barren lands, fighting in battlefields, on terrorist sites and places which are surviving floods and famines. There are those children who do not get enough to eat and their needs aren't even being fulfilled however, there exists a polar world where some children have certain demands which are on an endless list.
The canker of materialism has spread far and wide; youngsters are the most affected lot. There is a drastic shift in values and their aspirations. They have become exceedingly selfish.
Gone are the days of brotherly, sisterly, fatherly, or motherly love. Youngsters want all their desires to be fulfilled at any cost. They are not bothered how they are fulfilled. They want to own trendy mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, tabs, bikes, and other gadgets, even though there is no genuine need for these gadgets. For this they pester their parents incessantly. All ethics, etiquette, decency, and decorum have gone to dogs.
Where will this lead to? Will such an attitude be of any use in future? Will it help them in securing a lucrative career?
These gadgets rather distract one from noble pursuits. The young generation should not be so materialistic. They should rather adopt and pursue spiritual values which help one in becoming a great person.
Answer:
It is very apparent that our society is seeing a continued shift towards an increase in material values and a decrease in spiritual values. Owning the latest and greatest technology is a top priority for many people these days. It has gotten so bad that I see many families who struggle just to keep up with everyone else (think "keeping up with the Joneses"). A lot of parents I know will work very hard to give their kids what they perceive that everyone else has.
However, if you really step back and think about it, it's not necessary or healthy to do that. It's really unfortunate to see so many people under pressure just to keep up with society. This pressure to buy more stuff is reinforced by our advertisement-friendly world and the increasingly intense integration of technology into our lives.
The issue of materialism is so apparent in society today that it actually defines who we are as people. The United States of America is often touted as the most materialistic nation in the world. Its inhabitants are even identified by the number of things they own or the amount of money they've accumulated. We certainly love our stuff—so much so that it's often to the detriment of our relationships with others, our quest for knowledge and wisdom, and even our health.
More often than not, the irony of this entire situation is that many people don't even really care about (or fully utilize, for that matter) the stuff that they accumulate. Using the "keeping up with the Joneses" analogy, people seem to buy things they don't need with money they don't have just to impress people they don't know or possibly even like.
the-growth-of-materialism-in-our-world
hibbard via MorgueFile
But Isn't Technology and "Stuff" Changing Things for the Better?
Many people often say that the future will be better than the past. In many aspects, I would argue that they are correct. However, in terms of growing materialism and the loss of spiritual values, I highly doubt that most things will change for the better in the future. Why? Well, there is no outside force that will act as an impetus for positive change in the future (i.e., there isn't anything acting against the increase in materialism).
As technology keeps getting better and we keep letting it permeate deeper into our lives, society will just keep progressing forward in the same direction. People will accumulate more things, spend more time online or in front of a TV, and traditional values will suffer. In fact, people will become so absorbed in technology that our human relationships will ultimately suffer and be reduced to nothing more than an annoyance or a chore (if future humans decide to interact with each other at all anymore).
In addition to this, I think what you'll see in the future is an increase in societal segments (or social classes) and a greater division between the "haves" and "have-nots." Of course, this will ultimately lead to social unrest and, eventually, societal collapse. It's a leap, I know, but just a small one that is very well within the realm of possibilities.
Not many things can change society's view on materialism. Government regulation may help things a little, but you can't create regulations that change people's beliefs. Government regulation would only be a means to delay the inevitable chaos and societal collapse. Only a significant world event, such as a natural disaster or another global war, would likely lead to a decrease in our materialist mindset. It's sad to say it, but if our environment were to suddenly change because of something like this, people's idea of what they believe is a necessity in life would instantly change as well.
the-growth-of-materialism-in-our-world
CWanamaker
Is This Really a Problem?
Increasing materialism is not sustainable in the long run. For one, as materialism increases, there is an ever-increasing demand for the use of natural resources and labor. As an individual desires to accumulate larger amounts of bigger and better things, the strain on our environment, and thus our resources, increases. This makes sustainable prosperity harder and harder to achieve as we move forward into the future. Society may adapt to changes in our resource reserves. However, it becomes more difficult to do so as we become more and more dependent on our technology.