Consumerism vs. Saving

Angelina Lopez, De La Salle Institute, Junior, Spring 2026

Today in the United States of America, the ideology of consumerism is present everywhere. It is ingrained in advertisements, media, and social norms. Consumerism “accounts for 70% of U.S. GDP” (Wiseman, 2026). This culture is a large factor in decreased personal savings. Thousands succumb to trends and rush to buy the newest version of the iPhone and don’t realize the long-term impact that this can have. 

Corporations are well aware of the influence of consumerism in America, and take advantage of this to make profit. Generation Z is by far the most notable generation that overconsumes products. Social media like Tiktok and Instagram influence youth with new trends everyday. Recently, Tiktok opened an online marketplace, which led to many content creators making advertisements for products to make extra money. Youth are being impacted by the overflow of advertisements. The most harmful trend for consumers and the environment is fast fashion; new fashion styles are favored every season. This leads to cycles of wasting old clothes and overconsuming new clothes. According to Lexie Woolums, writing for the University of Alabama at Birmingham "People consume 400% more clothing today than twenty years ago" (Woolums, 2023). The latest craze is Needoh, an anti-stress  toy, and Owala. 

Consumerism impacts the bank accounts of many families and teenagers that are intending to be responsible with their savings.  It largely increases debt, reduces savings, and cycles of overconsumption. Adrian Guerra, a high school student, stated “if the money is not being put into a savings account, it makes it easier for teens to spend the money and can potentially urge them to spend.” Oftentimes than not, consumerism is market-driven with persuasive marketing. According to the  2025 infographic found in the Piper Sandler Teen Survey, "the average U.S. teen spends about $2,213 per year" (Piper Sandler Teen Survey, 2025). High school students are easily influenced, and would benefit from economics and savings classes to further understand the impact ofoverspending. Financial coach, Moises Sanchez, also recommends “People should track and categorize their spending; utilizing a budget can assist in this process.” Saving money is vital to a healthy lifestyle: being educated, aware, and proactive will help people to achieve good spending habits.

Statistic Links:

1. https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2023/10/24/the-excessive-nature-of-overconsumption-in-american-culture/

2. https://apnews.com/article/economy-inflation-consumer-spending-gdp-9e21304dcaca490e65d15fc5d1c92e0e

3. https://www.pipersandler.com/teens

Interviewees:

1. Moises Sanchez - Financial Coach

2. Adrian Guerra - Student