Harmless Hobby?

Over-consumption is everywhere. People are constantly buying things they don’t need just because they can, because the article of clothing is on sale, or just because they think they are going to wear it eventually. Now the big question is, are your individual habits and hobbies of over-consumption harming humanity as a whole? If these articles of clothing are cheap then what does it matter if you’re buying them even if you’re not going to wear them? What some people don’t realize when they are buying something that they want vs. need is where and how the article of clothing is being made. While all the details of sweatshops aren't always very clear, it’s usually never wrong to guess that something you are buying was made in an unethical way. However it is practically impossible to know if the new pair of shoes that you just bought were made by some woman in a sweatshop in a third world country.           
 

Even with the possible unethical origins most people continue on with their shopping habits. With all the economic difficulties cloths being cheap is great. Knock offs are becoming more available so it’s easier to go out and fill your closet with stuff that you might not even use. With new cloths comes the need for space. Suddenly cloths that have been sitting in your closet for a few months are “old” and need to be removed to make space. Quantity has taken a priority over quality. The cheaper the cloths the cheaper the quality, they wear out quickly and they need to be replaced sooner. With this being our reality most people don’t think about the reality of the production of these cheap cloths.

            In the essay Women Shopping and Women Sweat-shopping (Individual Responsibility for Consumerism) By Lisa Cassidy, she talks about two philosopher’s theories, Peter Singer and Thomas Pogge. Both men feel that there is an injustice done to the sweatshop workers. Singers stand point is that we shouldn't just stand by; we should help fix poverty by donating money to the cause instead of spending it on a new pair of shoes. Pogge has a similar outlook but instead he feels that we, humanity as a whole, are responsible. And because we are all responsible for it we should fix it, you break it you buy it mentality.  In their eye’s anyone who owns more than the bare minimum has failed morally.            

Now going back to my original question of individual habits of over-consumption, are you personally responsible for all the poverty and suffering in the world. An immediate answer would be no, how could one singular person be responsible for the low-wage labor that is happening in third world countries. But then after thinking about it the real answer is maybe. You are one singular person but there are hundreds of millions of people who are also contributing and I can be included in that list.
           There are ways for people to “over-consume” without feeling guilty and responsible, it’s called sustainable consumption. The only downside of the guilt free track is that it can be more expensive, about 30 to 50 percent more expensive. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t even have this option. Over-consumption is something that will never go away, it’s everywhere and it is probably never going anywhere. The only thing you can do is be aware of what you are doing and make small attempts to make your hobby of shopping not so harmless.