Consumerism is going to kill us... if we let it

Greetings to all members of the community, how are you? I love to reflect on our behaviors and their impact on the environment, which is why when I saw this week's theme for the #KISS Blogging Ideas 41 I was ready to participate, con focusing on consumerism. We often find ourselves with an overload of information through social networks that make us think that we need more than what we have, although in reality it is not like that, but this did not start with the advances of technology, which although it made this behavior easier, we can remember those commercials on television offering products with misleading advertising in which people fell into, many becoming addicted to buy everything they offered. People have become accustomed to forgetting that we don't need a lot of things to live comfortably, nor do we rush to buy new products when we still have ones that work perfectly. I think there has come a point where people are associating their value as a person with the material possessions they have. There is a certain social pressure to have the items of the moment, to be fashionable...

Why buy things we don't need? Sometimes even products that are never going to be used and are hidden in some corner of the house, seeing the light only when they are going to be thrown away. In a certain sense, perhaps we could consider consumerism as a disease, presenting a minimalist lifestyle as the cure. It is a difficult impulse to control that I myself have felt, especially when it comes to clothing, buying clothes that I have not worn since I bought them, but recognizing mistakes is one of the first steps towards improvement, considered by many to be the most important. For me, trying to follow a minimalist lifestyle is not only about seeking stability and simplicity in our daily lives, but also about learning to consume in an environmentally responsible way, considering that consumerism has been pointed out as one of the main enemies of the environment. As consumption increases, more of the planet earth's natural resources are used up and this in turn leads to greater pollution by generating more garbage, an endless circle that is gradually destroying the much-needed natural resources on which human beings depend for their existence.

We have to focus on the essential

Wanting new things is not bad, I don't think it's good to go to extremes either, besides it's unrealistic for people who are just starting to make a change, but there should be certain limits when we are honest with ourselves about what we need and what we might leave for later, achieving a balance is one of the most important things for me in this life. Precisely leading a minimalist lifestyle can help us to identify what is important, not only talking about material things, moving away from what is unnecessary, without this meaning that we are going to dedicate ourselves only to exist, but in the long run we would be minimizing our consumption and that would help the environment. For a long time now I can say that in my family consumption has been reduced even if it was not entirely voluntary and conscious, since the economic crisis that the country is going through means that money has had to be spent in a smarter way, prioritizing basic necessities such as food and leaving aside others. The good thing is that there are several spaces where we could consider focusing on the essentials without the need to cover everything at the same time, we can start by letting go of some things depending on what works for us.

Learning to reuse

There are many products that we buy that after using them leave a lot of garbage, I will not get into the discussion about looking for better options because at least in the country where I live it is difficult to find eco-friendly products at affordable prices and shopping for the home is complicated because money is not enough for everything. Venezuelans are used to reuse the plastic containers of the products we buy, using them for other purposes that allow us to give them a new life and make the most of what they have to offer, the same happens with glass containers, but not as often. Much has been said about their use for storing food, which is one of the main uses that are given to these containers here, something that is under the criterion of each person and I am not recommending at all, however, it is not the only one. They can be transformed to store various items, such as pots for plants, although aesthetically it may not be everyone's taste, I have even made sand dumbbells with soda bottles to exercise at home. It all depends on creativity.

Thank you very much for reading my publication, I hope to meet you here in the next opportunity.

The photo without reference is mine, taken from my Redmi Note 5 phone.

I invite my @wesp05 to participate.