Impact of Consumerism on the Consumption Attitudes of University Students

Impact of Consumerism on the Consumption Attitudes of University Students Literature Review
Students Name
University Affiliation
Couse
Professor
Date
Impact of Consumerism on Consumption Attitudes of Students Literature Review
Introduction
The culture of Consumerism has played a critical role in influencing the buying habits of university and college students. This literature review will focus on examining Consumerism's impact on university students' consumption attitudes. The students' well-being and degree of affluence will be explored to examine their contributions to students' consumption attitudes.
The Concept of Consumerism
The culture of consumption is what defines the modern world. This culture first emerged during the dawn of civilization. But from the late 18th century to the early twentieth century, Consumerism took off. Numerous factors, including the industrial revolution, population increase, and scientific and technical advancements, have contributed to the rise of Consumerism (Babayġğġt et al., 2021). The main emphasis of Consumerism is for individuals to buy more stuff. Companies have been at the core of popularizing Consumerism through their advertisements. They encourage people to spend more on buying goods and services. They have simply sold the idea that if you don’t buy more, then you are missing out. It is frequently linked to a capitalist economic system that encourages the notion that acquiring material items is an important indicator of success and pleasure. Although Consumerism has boosted economic development and prosperity in some regions of the world, it has also come under scrutiny for having a detrimental effect on the environment, social inequality, and human well-being. Consumerism has affected most people negatively since it leads to fear of missing out (FOMO) and depression whenever they can not afford to spend like their peers. Indeed, Consumerism is completely changing the world's social and economic order.
Influences on Consumption Attitudes of Students
The impact of Consumerism on university students is influenced by their level of well-being.
of university students
Li et al. (2023) found out that there has been a growing trend among university students worldwide for excessive spending on material possessions, especially on online shopping platforms. Most university students believe that if they do not acquire certain items, they will lose their sense of belonging to a certain social class (Li et al., 2023). Consequently, this has distorted the well-being of many students since they cannot afford most material possessions. Depression and stress are regular occurrences among students.
Thus, it can be inferred that Consumerism is the major cause of the stress, anxiety, and depression that plague university students nowadays. While some seek counseling and use medication, others remain silent, demonstrating the need for institutions to look for a solution (Susanto, 2021). Universities should develop and maintain stress reduction programs so that their students may obtain the necessary treatment and support. This will help to lessen situations where students' mental health deteriorates over time and even results in suicide. Equally, educating the students on spending only what they need is crucial in ensuring they adopt healthier consumption attitudes.
Notably, the students' well-being level has been found to influence the impact of Consumerism on the students significantly. Students who have good mental well-being are found to be less likely to seek satisfaction through material possessions. Hence, students tend to be satisfied with what they have (Khatri & Duggal, 2022). On the contrary, students suffering mentally are more likely to purchase more material things they don’t even need to cope with the stress and depression they are experiencing. In essence, university students with better physical and mental health may be less vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of Consumerism that influence their consumption attitudes.
The impact of Consumerism on university students is influenced by the degree of affluence (or socioeconomic status) of their families.
Consumerism is the term used t...