Consumerism is an "attitude that values the acquisition of material goods". It's also described as "a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts". We are all consumers, we all purchase goods and services, it is almost impossible to avoid it even if we wanted to. Though we don't like to think about it(or don't think at all), everything you do or buy has a hidden cost, besides the financial cost. Throwing paper or trash out your car window, sure its convenient but that trash will probably never be picked up, it will drift to some place like a large body of water and stay there for years if not longer, slowly degrading and releasing oil-based toxins, or buying those cute Ugg's practically every girl is wearing, sure its cute and warm, but whats not so cute and warm is the bloody mess of sheep skin that is used to make them, and neither is the dirt poor Chinese worker who works in sweatshop-like conditions everyday for next to nothing pay to make them.We don't realize the damage we are doing to the planet, other people, society, even ourselves.We don't realize that we are supporting a system that feeds off our discontent, fear, emotions,and humanity to inundate us with a mass of worthless, pointless and unnecessary information and products to create a never ending cycle of systematic exploitation. We  may not be able to stop the effects of our lifestyles, but we can certainly reduce and avoid them.                                                                          .