Youth and consumerism

Abstract

The dominant culture today promotes a consumerist and hedonistic lifestyle. This type of civilizational context shapes people focused on seeking pleasure and a comfortable, egocentric lifestyle. Consumerism also leads to addiction and makes it difficult to build bonds based on selfless love and being a gift for another person. No wonder that in our times fewer and fewer young people are able to build lasting bonds and to decide on marriage and parenthood. The task of responsible educators is to protect children and youth from consumerism and hedonism, and to form altruistic attitudes in their pupils, because only bonds based on faithful and mutual love bring lasting joy and a sense of security.