Not new news. It's part of why most Americans are in debt up to their eyeballs. Sites like this one are part of the issue. Kitchen cuporards and counters are no longer permenant elements in homes...

Or watch The Story of Stuff which has been around for many years.

I agree with Arcy! What used to be considered beautiful and in style is now ugly and outdated? Why is that? I'm not one to follow trendy fashions in my clothing or my home. It it ain't broke, don't fix it is my way of thinking. I have outdated honey oak cabinets(solid OAK!) in my kitchen that are better made than anything you could buy in a store these days. I think I'll keep them!

I don’t know if I can take watching anything depressing at the moment.

I do remember the days when there were three kinds of jeans, a few types of sneakers, and you’d wear whatever your mother bought. I don’t remember anyone caring.

Then came the age of designer everything and an obsession with lifestyles of the ”rich and famous”…… it’s been downhill ever since.

I think it was late seventies, early eighties

I watched it. Depressing is right. Too bad most people won't ever see it.

I don't do gifts anymore except for cash (unless it's for a small child) and I discourage people buying me gifts. No matter how well-meaning, 95% of the gifts I have received over the past 20 years have been unneeded, unwanted.

And here we are at the start of the big holiday that celebrates materialism. I used to have a receptionist who did all kinds of obligatory gift exchanges in her large family. She once told me that she would usually be paying for things until the following June. She also told me, proudly, that she had "Christmas Club" at her bank. This entailed putting a small amount of money into a special account, every two weeks, all year, and then getting back that money so she could spend it in December. The account didn't even pay interest!

I realize that my style is more minimalist than most. And for that, I am so, so grateful.

I clicked through it quickly. It reminded me of the tripe the now seemingly inactive Michael Moore produced that people thought were objectively minded documentaries. Rather than the politically minded rather extremist editorials they were. This piece seemed just like that.

More annoying than depressing to me, It was written and put together to elicit strong reactions of one intended political point of view. No need to allow yourself to be persuaded by the narrow perspective.

No. I do not want to be further depressed. With current world issues I already feel like I've walked into a restaurant with a depression buffet, and no matter what I put on my plate it will be depressing. But the OP certainly has a good point about materialism.

I agree with Elmer. Documentaries like that are extremely biased and likely exaggerated to sway people to agree with the view of the people who create it. Materialism and consumerism create jobs. All over the world. Lets see a doc about what would happen if all the buying stopped. THAT would be depressing.

Yes I watched it. It was overwhelming. Just can't believe how much waste there is in this world.

Surely commerce and job growth could be supported without requiring the Brave New World "ending is better than mending" culture?

Anyone go to a thrift store, lately or how about Value Village? Stores full of once loved now unwanted stuf and more stuff. Out with the old, in the new, easily found at any large or small store. Stuff and more stuff…

" Surely commerce and job growth could be supported without requiring the Brave New World "ending is better than mending" culture? "

I don't think responsible choices individuals make on how to spend money they can afford to spend need anyone's assessment or condemnation.
If consumer spending on goods produced by company A, B, C and all the rest throughout the economy were to decrease by your waving a magic wand, with resulting downsizing of employee numbers for all such companies, and the millions of others employed by their supporting suppliers and service providers that rely on them directly and indirectly, tell me what you would do to find new millions of jobs for those people to do.
If you can find millions of new jobs, please do that and provide opportunities for people un- and under-employed.

^^^ the answer is NOT to keep buying more. The environmental burden is insane. I'm sure these people could be employed in more meaningful ways.

I don't get netflix so won't be watching, but to answer the title question, no, I've got more than enough to be depressed about, thank you.

No, I don't want to be more depressed than usual during the winter/holiday season. Thanks for trying though!

responsible choices

money they can afford

Those qualifications you've required would significantly decrease current consumer spending.

One item really bugged me was the manufacturers’ and retailers’ actions, of designing things that cannot be repaired, or of destroying things that don’t sell.

Waste is there anyway. If everyone wears out one pair of socks a year, that’s, what, 12bn socks going into landfill each year. (I know, not everyone wears socks, it’s just an example.) There are only so many ways to repurpose socks. I have a drawerful of old socks I use for various things around the house, but they still accumulate!

I too do not subscribe to netflix so I cannot watch it. I had to chuckle thinking to myself, another reason we should think about subscribing.........but then I thought do subscriptions count towards consumption and buying? Ummm I think so.

No judgement, just saying that living in this world, and reality being what it is, "everything in moderation".

I've fallen into a terrific book. I fear most won't read this because a) it's LONG, b) the author is known for science fiction, and c) it's about the destruction of Earth's biosphere.

It's The Ministry for the Future, Kim Stanley Robinson. The book begins with a heat event that kills thousands. We then meet a present day group as it tries to halt growing destruction by changing the money structure. They seek to replace the standard of the US dollar with 'carbon coin' -- nations and individuals earn and trade in credits for not producing biosphere-thinning pollutants.

Individual stories are sprinkled into the tale to personalize the growing threat, but nothing happens until the danger is perceived to be both world wide and local. Only when it gets personal to enough individuals and nations do the economic wheels turn to the carbon banking solution. Will it be in time? I don't know. It's 2050 in the book, and I have 150 pages to go.

" Those qualifications you've required would significantly decrease current consumer spending. "

My question highlighted the irrationality of your comment and of course you ignored it. Because that's the problem, the consequences of what you're dreaming of are a bigger problem.

You're free to do as you wish, just as others are. Don't create problems in your mind to obsess over.

Stereo earbuds. In a small, two-piece, plastic tube, with two pieces of identification and instructions, oononconcloncluoncludoncludioncludincluding a small string loop on top for hanging, and "DDoDolDollDollaDollarDollaraDollaramDollarama, Montreal" and "Made in China" and a price sticker saying "$1.25".

There's got to be some slavery or near it in some of all of the action of getting it to me/my son at that price.

ole joyful (much of the time)

ETA: If you're using a phone, if you turn it with the long way horizonal, that "including" all shows, on mine.

o j

I may have already seen it. Sounds like something I've seen anyway. And no, I'm depressed enough right now.

I don't think there is anything wrong with discussions of concerning modern issues. But

I hope that all the people who have mentioned that they have enough depression in their lives find some extra happiness soon. It might be a good idea to go looking, rather than wait for it to fall out of the heavens.

See a friend

Volunteer doing something good

Cook something special and invite guests

Do some of your favorite things.

We can talk about concerns here. but we can also lift each other up.

I'm sure these people could be employed in more meaningful ways.

Like WHAT? Where are millions of "meaningful" jobs that meet your standards of worthiness and morality going to come from if all the jobs associated with commerce disappear? HMMMMM? Do tell. What does that even mean anyway? People WORK to make MONEY to support themselves and their families. That's meaningful.

No I do not want to be depressed

Gosh! Sorry to hear so many are depressed. I'm so relieved and hopeful at this time! I think our future is bright!

However, I don't have to watch a documentary to know what is right in front of our faces about people buying to much "stuff". I try to mostly buy quality over quantity. I pay more for it, but I'd much rather have less really good "stuff" than tons of cheap trendy "stuff". That is common sense to me. But, apparently cheap and trendy sells, so....

" I don't think there is anything wrong with discussions of concerning modern issues. "

Yes, you've focused on precisely what I was trying to say. What that video tripe concerns itself with is hardly a "modern issue".

Is the current wealth disparity between classes modern or feudal?