Essay Example on Affluenza: A Social Virus That Destroys Lives

Introduction

The term affluenza is a term derived from two words, the affluent and influenza. Compared to a virus that rapidly spreads until it consumes the entire host, the social virus of affluenza has been shown to infect millions of people. It destroys the lives of people with an uncontrolled and shameless pursuit for material possessions. It is further characterized by an unhealthy connection with money, blown up expectations and tiresome efforts to keep up with one own needs. Like a disease, therefore, affluenza creates anxiety, bankruptcy and thus becomes the cause of numerous social problems in America. Majority of people perceive affluenza as the mental sickness of a rich man. Lately, affluenza has been linked to a Texas teenager, Ethan Couch, who murdered four people in a car through a car accident in 2013. His state of drunkenness. During the trial, it became evident Ethan was a victim of affluenza who was overpowered by the sense of entitlement that rendered him unable of differentiating right from wrong.

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Whom to Blame: Personal Opinion

In my opinion, the rise of affluenza in the American society should not be blamed on anyone but the economic, political and social factors that have created a favorable climate for wealth gap or income inequality to thrive. Both the federal and state government, therefore, should play their part to avail various opportunities that would help reduce the wealth gap. Studies have shown that the affluenza was nearly unknown a decade ago. Majority of people had little knowledge about the phenomenon even during World War 1 and the great depression. Individuals who perceived that they would be affected by the Great Depression responded by working hard, saving the money and purchase only what they could afford. Because of the hard times experienced during those times, the thrift and frugality dominated the times.

The age of prosperity dominated the post-World War II because many industrial companies began employing people as part of the aggressive mechanism to attract new customers for their finished industrial goods. Majority of the companies, therefore, chose a specific niche or customer segments through which they could sell their products and services primarily the youth adults and the teens. The emergence of the television as the primary media strengthened the strength of advertisement and thus allowed firms to reach millions of people simultaneously through commercial (De, Wann & Naylor, 2014). All these processes have led to the rise in the wealth gap or income inequality. Individuals with low income have therefore developed the desire to adopt the rich mentality.

Affluenza is an increasingly serious problem in American society. Its costs and impacts are huge though authorities often conceal them (De, Wann & Naylor, 2014). Untreated, the disease can lead to a permanent discontent. In America, the disease is believed to have been rooted in the obsessive, nearly religious desire for economic prosperity and therefore constitute an American dream. The affluenza is rooted in the fact that the American supreme measure of the national progress is the Gross Domestic Product. The belief that the generation will be materially wealthier than its predecessor and therefore propels every individual to pursue the single-minded end without destroying the many things that they possess.

Individual's Mostly Affected

The individual most affected by the affluenza is mostly the low-income earners who strive towards embracing the lives of the wealthy and affluent people. Under these circumstances, the low-income earner experience low self-esteem, depression, a loss of motivation, as well as the inability to delay gratification. They also experience a false sense of entitlement, and thus the affected becomes weighed down with debt thereby making someone default on their credit cards or mortgage. These people become a major group of people affected.

Research has shown that the affluenza has a great impact socially, personally and economically. Ideally, the majority of the natural resources are required to generate good and services for the consumers. The natural environment itself is therefore manipulated to accommodate these requirements for manufacturing. This situation contributes to uncontrolled natural habit being polluted and destroyed. This further causes weather changes. Studies have shown that consumerism can have specific positive changes in the economy. For instance, it is anticipated that there will be a rise in industrial production and a considerably higher growth rate economy. However, it will disrupt with the workings and the operation of the society through giving the room for the replacement of the normal needs with the supply of items that are endless about its true and inherent value (De, Wann & Naylor, 2014).

According to De, Wann & Naylor (2014), individuals affected by the affluenza demonstrate behavior which involves buying a sufficient quantity of a good that is unnecessary. This is usually done to imitate the lifestyles of the rich and famous people in society. Ideally, much of their focus usually entail maintaining their living standard. This process undeniably creates enormous adverse effects about the people society around them. In the long-run, this affluenza affects work and reputation. The act of buying more luxurious products may make a person financially concerned. The emergence of psychological health can tremendously affect n an individual's desire especially if they are not met. The mental problems such as depressions and feelings of dissatisfaction can further emanate.

References

De, G. J., Wann, D., Naylor, T. H., & Redefining Progress (Organization). (2014). Affluenza: The all-consuming epidemic. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers