photo credit: Sophia Robinson
Gratitude is one of the most important values to have. With the power to improve people’s mental health and strengthen our relationships, it creates a less self-centered society.
In society currently, people are constantly pushing towards more; more possessions, more success, more recognition. The idea of chasing the next best thing has pushed gratitude to the sidelines.
Whether it’s the latest gadget or the newest trend, focus has shifted from being grateful and content to feeling generally dissatisfied. I believe that a significant contributor to this shift is a rise in consumerism and materialism.
Advertising and society in general have normalized that happiness comes from what one owns rather than who they are or their accomplishments. There seems to be pressure to consume everywhere, this is through social media and sometimes cultural norms.
Because of this, it is no surprise to me that people feel a constant need to obtain more, even if it’s not fulfilling and doesn’t cause real happiness.
Advertising in particular I believe has fueled this dissatisfaction by constantly portraying that life will improve with the latest products. Doing this creates a false narrative about happiness and being fulfilled.
This trend is proven by a study by the National Library of Medicine, where a group of children exposed to materialistic messages through advertising on television were found to have lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Instead of making them feel more content, the messages created a need to chase the next best thing.
Consumerism and materialism also change our expectations for happiness. The study also found that children who were raised in environments of being exposed to advertising were more likely to have lower emotional well-being.
I believe this is because the children were conditioned to believe that possessions were the key to feeling happy or fulfilled. When these attitudes are created at a young age, they could have a long-term impact and lead to a decrease in life satisfaction as the children grow older.
Materialism can be isolating as well, it can promote comparison and become a competition. Instead of bonding over shared experiences or emotional connections, I often see others caught up in possessions.
Research also shows that materialism can be linked to increased mental health problems like anxiety and depression, when people become focused on what they lack instead of celebrating what they have. Rather than feeling grateful, the focus is stuck on achieving external validation through purchases.
But what can one do to combat this societal shift and remain grounded in gratitude? A big part of it is to practice mindfulness, and to be sure to live in the present moment.
Trying to focus on the now instead of what don’t have can allow us to appreciate life as it is. It’s as simple as acknowledging small things, like a warm cup of coffee or a quiet evening with loved ones.
Another method could be to actively practice gratitude, this could mean journaling daily or expressing thanks at the start or end of each day. According to Science Direct, research has shown focusing on what people are grateful for can have an extremely positive impact on mental health, and can change our attitude overall.
Rejecting the idea that happiness lies in what one owns and instead choosing to embrace the value of our relationships, experiences that someone has in the present moment, society should break free from the cycle of consumerism. Gratefulness doesn’t require us to buy into false promises it should be about recognizing the value in life.
Moving towards thinking focused on the future takes away personal satisfaction but also damages our society. Without gratitude, we will inevitably lose sight of what matters.
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