Teen Hairstyles, Fun Quizzes, Games, and Teen Fashion. Thrasher Skateboard Magazine. Consumerism. Consumerism is a social and economic order and ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-greater amounts. Early criticisms of consumerism are present in the works of Thorstein Veblen (1899). Veblen's subject of examination, the newly emergent middle class arising at the turn of the twentieth century,[1] comes to fruition by the end of the twentieth century through the process of globalization. In this sense, consumerism is usually considered a part of media culture. The term "consumerism" has also been used to refer to something quite different called the consumerists movement, consumer protection or consumer activism, which seeks to protect and inform consumers by requiring such practices as honest packaging and advertising, product guarantees, and improved safety standards.
In economics, consumerism refers to economic policies placing emphasis on consumption. Term[edit] History[edit] Origins[edit] Culture of consumption[edit] Mass-production[edit] Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary. Consumerism. Consumerism.gif (GIF Image, 287×276 pixels) Fight consumerism. Overconsumption.