Solutions about Affluenza

Solutions for Affluenza

Abstract

Materialism is a problem affecting many people around the world. Other than being materialistic, other people are hardly able to control their spending. The problem of Affluenza thus affects millions of people around the world as described by “The all Consuming Epidemic,” a book that talks of the problem from the causes of the problem to the solutions. There are many ways of handling Affluenza problem as discussed in this paper.

The problem

Part 2 of the book, “The all Consuming Epidemic” consist of Six Chapters that the most critical to this paper including chapter 15 to chapter 20. This part explores the roots causes of Affluenza. Chapter 15 of the book is known as the Original Sin and reviews the problems past history, which includes ancient Greeks and the New Testament, as well quotes by Lakota Sioux Chief. These reviewed cases provide information for root causes of Affluenza. In the same chapter, it is established that affluenza is a problem whose existent can be rooted to events of long time ago or in the ancient times. The problem has however spread greatly and faster than ever before over the last few decades. The spreading has been initiated by deterioration in cultural values among people.

There is also an effect from the many changes in technology and commercial pressures. Chapter 16 is the “An Ounce Prevention” and discusses the past counteracting influences like the Puritan settlers, the prohibition of wealth displays as well as Karl Marx influences, and others like Henry David Thoreau. Chapter 17 is “The Road not taken” and brings in some aspect of history as far as before the beginning of the baby boomers generation. Work is considered an aspect and factor of greed and spending. The baby boomers generation is associated with the time from the World War II as described in chapter 18, “An Emerging Epidemic.” This describes the consumption aspect after the World War II (Graaf, 2005). There was an increased cases of explosive spending increased demand, low interest rates on government loans, and increased television advertising leading to the desire for luxury. These factors initiated an economic boom making people well off to increase their appetite.

There was also an expansion of private credit during the 1980s and increased government spending. Chapter 19, “The Age of Affluenza,” talks of the effect of advertising as leading to corporate bias in media. This talks of the issues of increased internet ads. Chapter 20, “Is There a (Real) Doctor in the House?” talks of what could happen if people ignore the symptoms. The right answer the asked question is that the problem would end up being worse. The reason why Affluenza is steadily spreading across the world is that people are becoming influence about the entire problem including the symptoms like stress of excessive use of resources leading to their exhaustion (Graaf, 2005). Other symptoms include increased social scars, misleading adverts, as well as increased claims by industries. This chapter also brings out a picture of the possible consequences of the problem, such as health effects as well as increased contribution to global warming.

The contribution of the problem is that creation of environmental problem and therefore there is the need for environmental education. Environmental education would give individuals on how to make use of natural resources in an efficient manner. Environmental education would involve the various way of preventing greedy practices by organization thereby contributing to environmental pollution (Graaf, 2005). Environmental education would also ensure that global warming as contributed by increased case of affluenza is fully controlled leaving only the environmental impacts that can hardly be prevented. Environmental education would be useful also in ensuring that increased environmental impact of affluenza contributing to health problems is avoided completely.

The individuals having the problem may see Affluenza as a forced achievement or an aspect of achievement. The desire for material gains is too strong and uncontrollable and is usually directed by bad or evil motives given that anything would cross the path of anyone attempting to gain whatever is desired. It is said that the world today is faced with the affluenza epidemic, in which case majority of people are obsessive, very envious, as well as showing traits of keeping up the pace of the rich individual (Graaf, 2005). The desire of people make them applied the non-legalized methods or procedures of wealth acquisition such as being engaging in crime, social evils like corruption, as well as other shortcuts to wealth acquisition. People have deviated from their healthy cultures and cultural practices that provided them with the ability to control their heinous desires as far as material gain is concerned (Graaf, 2005). The net effect of this practice is a generation of less effective economic practices through unfair way of personal or organization development.

Solutions

The cure for influenza can be established from an individual perspective. While the problem may not always result to social harm, in the case of increased impulse buying can ruin one’s economic position in life. The problem should b viewed from its aspect as being disastrous and quickly spreading from one country to another. From an individual perspective, increased desired and consumption can cause one’s health problems given that stress would follow due the economic loss that results from this action of excessive spending. The disease may not harm one’s health directly but the effect would certainly be realized after spreading to other people in the family and the society (Graaf, 2005). The problem has been too great to an extent of calling for the help of doctors, particularly mental doctors, who may be described as psychologists and psychiatrists. It is a problem of the mind and wanting to spend more. Economically the health practice as far as affluenza is concerned may be great since the more one spends, the higher the demand in the economy thereby creating a better business environment for various business organizations.

Overspending may be quite difficult to many people but to some other individuals, it is part of life. Once one finds himself or herself overspending, it may call for his or her cravenness to gain more material wealth, which would allow him or her to spend even more. Overspending on those goods that require the use of significant amount of money would be worse than any kind of impulse buying. The issue would create even more problems when people overspend in those goods that have some negative impact on their health including alcohol and other drug that are commonly abused. This aspect may however be understood from the fact that people increasing their consumption on alcohol or drugs do so as a result of addiction.

The cure for affluence is basically an individual task unless its severity would call the help of a professional such as a psychologist. In the case of an impulse buying or excessive practices that may deprives one’s income due to a routinely spending that is hardly controlled, one has to make considerations before deciding to buy anything. Such consideration would b based on asking whether you need the item or no. Sometimes one may find it better to get it elsewhere by borrowing especially when the use of the item is temporal. It would not be wise to buy something that would not be utilized accordingly. Given that something else that is available can be used in place of the item being purchased, it would be wise to make use of it. If the person in question were affected by uncontrolled shopping or buying, avoiding the mall would be a good idea. One may engage himself or herself in activities that involve less spending. Practicing these aspects and ensuring that spending is minimized would save one’s finances and protect the person from engaging in socially unacceptable practices in search for money for use in the uncontrolled spending (Graaf, 2005). This way, the problem of affluenza would be controlled and gotten rid of.

Reference

Graaf, J. d. (2005 ). Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic .