The Consumption Dilemma By : Habib Muhammad Shahib Currently, we live in a world that believes we are what we consume.

The rate or kinds of consumption become a symbol of social status in peoples daily life. Those conditions above have made two different opinions in our society. In one side, some people believe it is not a problem if people use their money to consume or buy some goods or assets. In this side, they believe, the high rate of consumption is a symbol of the good economic growth in one country that means if people in one country have a good ability to consume or buy anything their countrys economic condition is in a good situation for a while. But, On the other hand, some people believe the high rate of consumption in one country or society is a symbol of materialism view. They believe people that always use their money or credit card (debt) to consume or buy goods especially for the luxurious goods such as the diamond or gold jewelry, some new expensive gadgets (hand phone, notebook, laptop), a sporty car or motor cycle, a great house and etc that means they are people who `trapped in materialism view and it is not good for the going concern of a society or a country because people will be the individualist, apathetic, and hedonist people. Economic and consumption However, economic and consumption have a good relevancy. For instance, in GDP (gross domestic product) rate , consumption rate is a criteria of some economic criterias (investment, government expenditure) that we can use to see or measure the rate of economic growth in one country. Based on the economics reason we can support the opinion which believes we need consumption from the people. Because the economic cycle will stop if there is no consumption activity in one country. On the other words, consumption is a central of the economic activity.
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Dilemma in Consumption Based on some reasons above, we can see consumption is the central part in economic activity. But as time goes on, Consumption becomes a central part in humans daily activity and it has also some effects to socio-psycho conditions in humans life that make some people argue the peoples high consumption is a symbol of materialism view . As an effect of the reasons above, we are always in dilemma if we are talking about the style of consumption. In one side we support the high rate of consumption to rule our economic activity and in the other side we confuse to reduce the materialism view in peoples consumption style. Our solution way Finally, in my opinion the best way to solve the problem in reducing materialism view in peoples consumption style is located in the education process. The education process in our society can make people especially the young people understand how to consume or buy in the good way that means our consumption activity can support our countrys economic growth without making us as the materialism people. Lets discuss Note : 1. GDP = Y = C (Consumption Rate) + I (Investment) + G (government expenditure) + IM (Export Import )