We are bombarded by advertisements for products every day. Although the actual number of advertisements we see each day is up for debate, it’s no secret that we come across ads all the time. Scrolling through social media, using an app on our phones, watching YouTube, watching movies and TV
Many years ago, I was facing a potential promotion at my job. When I saw the salary offer, I had a hunch that it was lower than it should have been. I sat down with a trusted co-worker, who had similar work experience and credentials as I did. I asked
My family experienced a laundry emergency last month. When we moved into our current home back in October, we bought a new washer and dryer to replace the appliances that had been there since the house had existed (around 20 years ago). The dryer wasn’t drying so well anymore, so
What do you picture when you think of the word “comfort?” For me, it brings up images of my family and friends, my favorite blanket, lived-in sweatpants, my spot on the couch, and my favorite foods. Here’s what all of my comfort images have in common (and my guess is
A few months ago, I was playing with my son Theo. Only a few months old at the time, one of his favorite things to do was staring at himself in a mirror (a typical past-time for infants who are a few months old). This particular playtime, Theo was propped
Last month I participated in a silent retreat at Holy Cross Monastery. Yes, you read that correctly. I voluntarily signed up and went on a retreat at which no one talked for days on end. And yes, there were other people at this retreat. Twenty-five of us or so went
Consumer culture is incredibly prevalent in the U.S., so much so that we often assume automatically that more is better. We are encouraged to spend our time, energy, and financial resources on accumulating more and more material possessions, while also continuously being dissatisfied so that we keep buying and consuming
It’s no secret that businesses and consumer culture use all sorts of tactics to get us to buy more stuff. We see a lot of these tactics in advertisements and how consumer culture functions– appealing to our base needs, manufacturing a sense of urgency, and perpetuating a sense of dissatisfaction
A few years ago, I took intentional steps to break my addiction to online shopping. When I was going through that process, I peeled back the layers of why I became addicted in the first place. I discovered that– at core of it– my issue was discontent. Contentment and Consumer
Imagine: you’re in the checkout line, and you see something small and inexpensive on display. Without thinking, you grab it and buy it. It’s cheap, it’s quick, and it’s easy to grab and add to your purchases. If it’s a consumable, you pop it in your mouth right after you