Now more than ever before, the consumerist culture of the United States is drastically changing the holiday season. The morals and traditions that have been celebrated for decades are being buried under unrealistic spending expectations from corporations and those around us. The impact of this epidemic is detrimental to our planet and to lower-income families, as the cost of everyday living seems to grow by the day.
This time of year is a gold mine for retailers, as people are willing to spend more now than at any other time of the year. Cities such as Palo Alto, California will see a huge spike in sales around this time. Over the years, as the median household income has increased, so has spending. Families in Palo Alto, for example, are expected to spend $4,485 on holiday expenses as of November 2025.
At the same time, the cost of living is rising, but wages are not. Cities such as New York are seeing statistics that show that only 40% of families can afford food for the week.
The rise in median household income seems impressive until you look closer. People have more money, but it’s all just enough to afford the ever-increasing cost of necessities nationwide. All of these expensive, unnecessary holiday decorations, that are used only once a year, just end up making things worse for the consumer. These corporations are sucking up whatever is left of the income we need for the rising cost of food.
Our very own state of California has experienced a rise in the cost of living for all residents. Gas prices are going up, and rental fees have increased by 50%, while mortgage costs have risen by 124% for homeowners.
Our consumerist culture is devastating to people’s lives. Everything costs more money, and the members of the middle class are having to choose between doing what society expects of them or saving enough money, just to be able to live in our state. Every part of our lives is monitored, targeted and taken advantage of by massive companies who convince us to buy unnecessary things, when just living in this state is expensive enough already.
This is not only negative for us, but also for our fragile ecology. The environment has gotten worse as we continue to advance into inhumane practices. The planet’s atmosphere is suffering, as our soil and water are filled with trash, and toxic chemicals seep into our land and oceans.
As companies ramp up their production to supply the demand, so will the waste continue to spread. Whatever doesn’t sell is most likely sent off to the landfills after the holidays are over. All those tiny, non-biodegradable pieces of tinsel will eventually be a part of the over two billion tons of waste we humans create every year, causing even more damage to our planet.
Most of these items are made to last for a few months, but they contain materials that won’t decompose for many, many years to come. These items might also release toxic chemicals into our environment, affecting the air we breathe and the soil we use to grow food.
Having all these long-lasting holiday traditions is great, but is the current economic landscape really the best time to put all this extra pressure on people to spend money on things they don’t need? Corporations are taking all the money people need to survive, and the wealth they gather should instead be more widely dispersed among our citizens. People struggling for food need assistance, not an unrealistic expectation to buy unnecessary decor used only once every year.
