Consumerism is defined as “the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable” (“Consumerism”). Its main motivation is the idea that if a person does not have everything that money can buy, he cannot be happy. This school of thought has become an integral part of modern society not only in the United States, but also internationally. While the exact origin of this term and ideology is debatable, it is certain now that consumerism is here to stay, intertwining with all aspects of American culture. Origins According to Alyson Dickerman of Ouachita Baptist University, consumerism "is as old as the first civilizations." People have been purchasing goods and materials beyond their basic needs since the times of Ancient Rome. However, a great boom occurred during the industrial revolution of the 19th century, with the production of new products that citizens sought to obtain. New methods of mass production have taken over factories, increasing efficiency and production while simultaneously decreasing production costs. Lower prices and greater availability meant that almost anyone could purchase these items, such as Henry Ford's Model T automobile and refrigerators. The era of consumerism had begun. One of the first major developments that spread consumerism among the masses was the “Buy Now, Pay Later” concept introduced by General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) in 1919 for the purpose of providing loans to people. want to buy cars. This credit system was soon adopted by many other societies and became the norm for economic transactions (“History of American Consumerism”). When General Motors began introducing annual models of its cars, the mentality dubbed “Keeping Up with the Joneses” took center stage with the Kardashians, or any other rich and famous man. idol to which consumers attach themselves. What's worse is that it's not just adults who have to deal with marketing, but now children too. Companies spend over $17 billion a year just to market products aimed at children (“Kids and Commercialism”). In 2004, children watched an average of 25,600 television commercials for a total of 7.4 days. The United States is one of the countries that spends the most in the world on unnecessary products, and statistics show that the situation is not likely to change. Consumerism is not always a bad thing. However, when your identity revolves around material objects and you are constantly torn between what to buy next, a serious problem arises. Many movements are taking steps to raise awareness about consumerism, but as it stands, Americans must deal with the culture we inherited: the culture of consumption..