America Cannot Cope Without Consumerism
During these hard times, when everything is in flux and no one seems to know what's next, it's nice to know we can rely on the media to take a measured, responsible approach to reporting on the economic crisis. Oh, haven't you heard? Our diminished spending capacity is causing society to dissolve into a maelstrom of crime, violence, drug use and mental illness, so if you're not panicking yet, well, now might be the time to start.
According to various alarmist psychologists, we're so used to spending money instead of dealing with difficult emotions, that we simply cannot cope with going cold turkey on shopping. The result? We'll steal, like the newly unemployed paralegal who went out and shoplifted an expensive tie. Or we'll rampage violently to get our hands on bargains, like the Black Friday Wal-Mart throng. Or maybe we'll turn to drugs and alcohol to fill the aching chasm in our soul.
"People that have been... identifying with and defining themselves by their material objects and expenditures are losing a definite piece of their identity and themselves," warns psychologist/money consultant James Gottfurcht. "They have to learn how to replace that." Or just follow the lead of so many others and get a doctor to write them a Xanax prescription.
