Inside the Prison Walls of Consumerism

Inside the Prison Walls of Consumerism Theres a shopping mall in San Diego that used to be a prison. Restored, repurposed, and redecorated, its hard to imagine this place once imprisoned hundreds of inmates. One might argue, however, its a different kind of prison now: a voluntary incarceration, caged by the invisible walls of consumption. This might sound hyperbolic, but its an apt analogy. After all, consumption isnt the problem; compulsory consumption (consumerism) is the problem. Weve trapped ourselves by thinking that consumerism will make us happy, that buying shit we dont need will somehow make us whole. Weve gotten good at fooling ourselves, too: weve overdecorated the jailhouse wallsâ€"walls weve built around ourselvesâ€"and weve made our cells so comfortable were terrified to leave. But a prison cell with a view is still a prison cell. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.