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11 Stats That Will Change the Way You Think About Consumerism

11 Stats That Will Change the Way You Think About Consumerism

America has always loved “stuff,” but lately, consumerism has hit a new high. The old days of Black Friday lines are gone—now, Amazon’s instant shopping and fast fashion from brands like Shein and Fashion Nova let us fill our carts at record speed, feeding a cycle of endless consumption.

Instagram and TikTok have morphed into digital malls, with entire accounts dedicated to product reviews and influencers banking on viral finds. TikTok is practically the new QVC, flooding the For You page with everything from $3 gadgets to designer “dupes,” making consumers feel like they’re missing out if they’re not clicking “add to cart.”

For many, scrolling through TikTok is a shopaholic’s fever dream. Every other swipe is an ad—sometimes not even disclosed as such—nudging you to buy the latest makeup dupe or trendy kitchen gadget. TikTok even launched its own shopping platform, letting users buy products directly through the app, which is essentially sealing its status as the ultimate one-stop shop.

Sure, we’re in the age of accessibility, but the push to buy—over and over again—isn’t just about the products. It’s about the culture of consumption that’s seeping into every corner of our lives. And it raises a question: When does owning more stuff stop making us happy and start making us hollow?

The fact is America has a consumerism problem. And if you don’t think we do, take a look at these 11 staggering stats.

1. Nearly 40 percent of Food in America goes to waste.

Americans allow $473 billion of food to be wasted every year. Globally, stunting due to malnutrition and lack of food affects 149 million children around the world every year.

2. In America, more money is spent on fashion accessories than college tuition.

The amount spent on shoes, watches and jewelry alone totals $100 billion.

3. Wealthy nations waste almost as much food is produced in all of sub-Saharan Africa.

Food wasted in developed countries every year: 222 million tons; Annual net food production in sub-Saharan Africa: 230 million tons.

4. Enough K-Cups were thrown out in 2014 to encircle the Earth 10.5 times.

According to their creator, K-Cups are almost impossible to recycle.

5. Nearly half the world’s toys are in America.

Despite making up just over 3 percent of the global population of children, American kids consume 40 percent of the world’s toys.

6. The amount Americans can spend in a single weekend is nearly equal to the total they give to churches in an entire year.

In recent years, total spending during the Thanksgiving weekend (including Black Friday) has ranged between $59.1 billion to $72.3 billion. Congregations in the US collect around $74.5 billion in one year.

7. The average American household has $90,460 in debt.

This includes all types of consumer debt products, from credit cards to personal loans, mortgages and student debt.

8. America generates an estimated 7 million metric tons of electronic waste each year.

Only one nation produces more electronic waste — China, which generated more than 12 million metric tons in 2022.

9. Homes in the U.S. contain more TVs than they do people.

On average, houses in the U.S. have three working television sets.

10. 12 percent of the population does more than half of the spending.

Despite being just 12 percent of the global population, the U.S. and Western Europe account for 60 percent of private consumption spending.

11. Plastic kills 1 million seabirds every single year.

Americans use 100 billion plastic bags annually.

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