Prompt: Shopping is becoming more and more popular as a leisure activity. However, some people feel that it has both positive and negative effects. Ċ Why is shopping so popular? Ċ What effects does its increase in popularity have on individuals and on society?

Ever since industrialization, there has been an upward trend in consumerism. However, with the rise in per capita income of the people, shopping is gaining the status of a leisure activity. And this has both merits and demerits, as believed by some individuals. This essay will discuss the causes of increasing popularity of shopping, as well as the effects of the increased popularity on individuals and society. Ċ Firstly, since life has become quite stressful these days, shopping is seen as a way to gain tranquility. To put it differently, although we buy goods for needs, the pleasure we attain on doing so is equivalent to that of getting a reward, thus making us calm and happy. For instance, getting yourself a new dress after a month of hard work in the office, feels extremely rewarding. Furthermore, producers, in order to boost their profits, feed consumerism. Even though people should buy what they really need, producers, in order to boost consumerism, play with the psychology of the people and tend to associate the goods with joy. For an illustration, advertisements these days focuses on the happiness one can obtain through the product, rather than focusing on the product’s key features and uses. Ċ However, there are numerous effects of this trend, both on society and individuals. People tend to shop more in order to be happy, but this habit increases materialism. Hence, they tend to detach from other important feelings like love and care, which are the path to true happiness. For instance, a research proved that laughing with friends, rather than gaining material assets, caused true happiness. As far as society is concerned, even though this trend may appear to be beneficial on the surface, actually it is harmful. In other words, with the rise of materialism on an individual level, the unity between individuals decreases on social level. For reference, a community where people care more for goods, helpfulness in the community decreases. Ċ To conclude, stress and fake needs are reasons for the surge in popularity of shopping. Even though it helps to boost the economy, it has detrimental effects both on individuals and the community by increasing materialism and decreasing corporation.