It is okay to own objects especially when they are essential for survival. Things like food, shelter, water or clothing are fine to have, but when people impulsively buy everything they see, that's when they should take a step back and consider their life and why they have so many things just to be happy. “Researchers believe that obtaining happiness from objects is materialism (Clark).” Everyone has things and whether it's a phone or a favorite toy, we all have them, but materialism is a growing problem due to hoarding, obsession and distraction. Materialism is not a new thing; it's on television, in magazines and in commercials. Hoarding has television programs dedicated to it. For example, Hoarders is a show about people's homes filled with random junk, which most people would have thrown away. Hoarders on television are overly attached and constantly crave the need for new items. “The reason they need new things is that when a person buys an object its new value only remains for six to twelve weeks before people get used to it (Clark).” That item then becomes the new normal and loses its new purchase value. People get bored and move on to another new object. They don't want to get rid of their things, but they never use them. Hoarding affects people when they succumb to the thought that only their belongings can bring them happiness. This is why many people on Hoarders live alone and their family doesn't visit them. To avoid hoarding, people should purchase experiences rather than a new item. “When people buy experiences, the happy memories they get from the experiences last longer than the feeling of a new object (Clark).” People can't resist the temptation to buy something because... middle of paper... they can visit them because the hoarders' houses are completely full and cluttered. Materialistic children develop psychological problems when their parents give them everything they ask for because they never learned the value of earning something or being able to take care of something besides themselves. Works Cited Rosenbloom, Stephanie. “But will it make you happy?” New York Times[New York] 07 August 2010, n. page. Network. November 18, 2013..Clark, Josh. “What makes people happier: objects or experiences?” How things work. NP and Web. 18 November 2013. Levine, Madeline. “How Materialism Hurts Our Children.” Tikkun Magazine.June 23, 2009: n. page. Network. November 18, 2013.< http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/Levine-materialismhurtsourkidsprivilege>.