This paper examines how many feel that
consumerism is a pattern of behavior that may be destroying our environment, financial
health, and our self-esteem. It attempts to answer the question of whether we should be buying more or less and whether we shop because that is what humans were meant to do, even though manufacturers, retailers, and
advertisers feel we as a nation should buy more. It details the opinions of three authors, Michael Schudson, Elayne Rapping, and Juliet B. Shors, in regard to these questions. It shows how each of these authors has an opinion or view about the topic of
consumerism and how, within their essays, they point out both the good and the bad and how they feel we, as a society, should consider consumerism.