I acknowledge that such telling exists, but there is still responsibility for people choosing to listen to it. Skepticism is vital. Beyond being skeptical of what you see, it is wild to me that we don't have approximately everyone blocking all ads, cable news, most social feeds, and other such transparently manipulative shit. Advertisement especially is literally industrialized and research-based psychological manipulation to make people do things that make no sense (see what Alfred Sloan did to GM, for an early example) — it's toxic and should be absolutely avoided.

Wages for the average person (working class) typically remain stagnant while cost of living increases, particularly through inflation. I imagine minimum wage would be 25-30 bucks an hour if it did track inflation and that would only serve to keep your purchasing power constant.

Credit, in this sense, is also used to solve a cash flow problem. It’s a bad sign when that credit (or Klarna Pay-in-3 style setups) is applied to basic day to day expenses like buying groceries or other necessities.

Basically the market’s answer to increasing poverty: you’re not getting paid more, so how about we give you a payment plan to spread things out?

I find meaning in understanding ever so slightly more about the world we live in, and so I love consuming as many things and experiences as possible to have a rich understanding of myself and to some extent, humanity as a whole.

I don't like the word "consume" though. Am I consuming a surfboard or am I surfing? am I consuming a song, or am I listening to it? singing along to it? This perspective feels tired.

The entire system (evolution) is based on growth and consumption. Blame agriculture! Too much free time to consume now – we are full-time entropy farmers.

Consumer brainrot is real and declining education is not helping this cause either

I don't think blame was being apportioned.

> I have a hard time blaming "the average person"

People still have agency and so are responsible for their decisions.

> The "average person" is told from birth to consume as many things and experiences as possible as it if was the only thing that could give their life a meaning.

The “average person” doesn’t make enough money to pay rent or afford groceries. You’re blaming the poor based on your idea of what an “average person” looks like, which is a representation of middle and upper middle class. The average person doesn’t have the luxury to consume as many things and experiences as possible.

Average *American

Believing what is told, trut all what is told, is something to be blamed about (here I am assuming we are talking about adults). Not like blame was allocated here, just since the topic was mentioned.

There is no “system.” It’s all just people making choices. My wife puts straws in the dishwasher to reuse them. She grew up in America the same as everyone else.