Affluenza is a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more. It is a powerful virus that has infected the American society, threatening our wallets, our friendships, our families, our communities, and our environment. Since the United States has become the economic model for most of the world this virus is now flowing freely on every continent. The costs and consequences of this disease are massive even though they are often concealed. Left untreated however, it can cause permanent discontent. Affluenza is based on our culture and how it encourages its citizens to measure their worth by financial success and material possessions. The media such as the television, radio, and internet tend to demonstrate how enveloping the idea has become. We as Americans have taken over this obsessive chase for material gain that has been the core principle of the American dream.
One of the main symptoms of this disease is that since World War II Americans have displayed an obsession with shopping. “We now spend nearly two-thirds of our $11 trillion economy on consumer goods. We spend more on shoes, jewelry, and watches than on higher education.” Big malls sell much more per square foot than do the smaller competitors because consumers are always looking for bigger and better things. “I come here with one overriding interest, to spend money,” said a teenager. Ninety-three percent of teenage American girls rated shopping as their favorite activity. Another cause of this symptom of obsession is home shopping and cyber shopping. These days you do not have to get into a car in order to shop. You can simply go on the internet, order from catalogs, or watch the home shopping channels.