Do we really want to live a simple life?
Anushree Bhattacharya
We all know that we need three basic things to live a simple life; clothes, food, and shelter. But do we seriously need only these three things? Well for a basic life we only have the necessity of these three things but for a comfortable life we must need some personal items also. But these personal items are not supposed to be luxurious. The thought of simplicity is somewhere lost in today’s time. Everyone wants to compete with each other. If one person has a luxurious item then another must have it, just to maintain their status in front of others, doesn’t matter if the item is desirable for the individual or not. The reason behind this is the increasing influence of media, advertisements, and social trends that create a false idea of happiness that can only be achieved by having luxury goods and services. Media and advertising industries show us that a successful person must own expensive things, branded products, and live a luxurious lifestyle. This becomes a culture of bragging through the social media platforms just like the influencers on Instagram, YouTube, where they post pictures or videos of their latest gadgets, trendy clothes, and luxury vacations and just by seeing that we also want to have the exact same life. This will be known as Consumerism, where people encourage others to buy more and more things, even if they don’t need them. Most of the people buy expensive things not because they need them, but because they want to show them to others or just to maintain their social status. It becomes a competition now
“Who has the latest phone?”
“Who is wearing branded shoes?”
“Who is living the “perfect” life?”
Sadly, people who cannot afford these things are getting judged, humiliated or mistreated. This is not right because a person’s value should not be decided by what products or services they can afford.
This creates pressure on young people to spend more on unnecessary items, even if it affects their savings or mental peace. People actually believe that their happiness depends on some material things. Brands and influencers grab the opportunity through smart advertising strategies. They are not doing anything wrong as it’s their duty to attract customers and increase the sales for the company, it’s the people’s fault that they make others feel left out if they don’t follow the trend. People are becoming more judgemental rather than supporting each other. Everyone is judging everyone here on the scale that is also built up by society. But the actual question is ‘Who are we to judge anyone?’ ‘Who are we to decide the scale of anyone’s happiness or their status?’ ‘Why can’t we be happy with whatever we have with us?’ Life is not a race which you have to win. Everybody’s style of living their own lives is totally different from others. So we should stop judging people by the items they own and start respecting each other’s decisions and abilities. As a result, people start living beyond their needs. Most of us fall into debt just to maintain a fake image in the society. The constant comparison seen on social media leads to dissatisfaction, anxiety, and a fear of missing out (FOMO). In this environment, minimalism is emerging as a refreshing and much-needed shift. Minimalism helps people find satisfaction in non-materialistic things like time with family, nature, and self-growth. It encourages mental clarity and helps to reduce unnecessary stress and constant pressure to “keep up” with others. Choosing minimalism is not about sacrificing comfort it’s about choosing peace over pressure. However, in recent times, Minimalism style of living is becoming popular especially among the young generations who are tired of fake lifestyle trends. This teaches us to live with only what is necessary. It focuses on quality, not quantity, promotes saving money, caring for the environment, and finding happiness in experiences rather than materialistic things. Some people nowadays embrace the “less is more” mindset proudly. Clean aesthetics, careful shopping, reusable fashion, and decluttering items are becoming popular. Even educational institutions also discuss these concepts through awareness programs, sustainability clubs, and media literacy classes. It is very much important to teach students the difference between ‘a need’ and ‘a want’, and think critically before buying anything. Many brands have started promoting minimalist ideas through sustainable products, eco-friendly packaging, simple designs and honest marketing. This is becoming a positive change in the market that we all need. This shift shows that consumers are becoming more aware and responsible towards themselves.
Conclusion:
In the end, we must understand that life is not a race where we have to come first otherwise there will be nothing left in our life. We should never judge anyone based on what they have or don’t have. The real luxurious thing of a human life is peace of mind, good health, and meaningful relationships. Media and advertising will always try to influence us, it’s their duty but it is our responsibility to make smart choices. Owning less is not considered a weakness, it is a strength. Simplicity is the new luxury.
(The writer is Master’s Degree Mass Communication student at Central University of Jammu)