A Cultural Shift: For the Good or for the Worse?

 

My neighbor and I sat down for some coffee as she reminisced about her childhood. Growing up in Van Wert, Ohio, Anne lived a very rural lifestyle. At 77 years old, her memory was quite sharp. The main focus of my questions was the comparison to present day resource and energy use. Her father worked in an automobile part industry. They did not own much acreage of land; however, her mother used it to grow tomatoes. I asked her what one adjective would aptly describe her household in terms of energy usage and she quickly replied: frugal. In fact, her neighbors can be described as frugal as well. Her parents’ philosophy was that one should not engage in indulgence. The people of Mid-Western America can best be described as simple. The people of her town dressed very plainly because it was considered rude to boast your wealth. There was only two times in the whole year that her parents allowed her to buy something that she really wanted: her birthday and Christmas. When she sees the culture that has swept America, she notices a change in how people buy. There are so much unnecessary products in the market that people buy indiscriminately.

Anne spoke of a shift in the consumer culture. It is in vogue to buy the latest item that will eventually pass in a few months. These people who are always conscious of what is in fashion, but often times, they are unaware of the waste they accumulate. In a span of forty years, Anne has witnessed an over-indulgence in America. As Anne states, “This generation, they use so much because of what they are watching on the television…” In her childhood, gifts were rare and watching television was a once a week event. She was encouraged to go outside and socialize, but only after she finished her homework in her bedroom. Today, even children consume a substantial amount of electricity. They watch hours of television and then they can use the computer. They have myriad options and every way utilizes energy.

Anne brought up an interesting point. We do have many options and a majority utilizes energy. Her parents encouraged her to go outside and play. Now, parents can just put their child in front of a television to keep them busy. It is this excess of technology that has changed the public’s perception of how much they consume. There are so many things we can buy. Since we do not have someone telling us which are the best, we choose without thinking. Anne also observed how the function of a car has changed as well. In Van Wert, families drove only when it was a necessity; now a car is used to take us walking distance destinations. Through the years, the way we use resources has changed for the worse. We use in copious amounts because we can and there is nobody who tells us it is wrong.