By Emily Auciello

Materialism: The theory or attitude that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life.

Materialism is becoming more prominent in our society, and words cannot express how much this pains me. Some people are willing to spend over $200 on a fancy-looking purse purely because certain initials are randomly strewn amongst its design; others buy sunglasses for obnoxious sums of money because they look “fashionable.” Is this really what our culture is coming to? Why don’t we just purchase things that are a more reasonable price and then give the money to those who so desperately need it to survive? Are we truly defined by labels? Can you purchase a Gucchi soul?

It almost seems as though people believe that the possession of particular labels can redeem them and give them a better status in the grand scheme of things. Maybe one day it will suddenly dawn upon the materialists of our generation that they cannot live life from purchase to purchase, they cannot express themselves purely in possessions. Perhaps the desire to define themselves through material things stems from a fear of discovering who they really are; perhaps they’re afraid that inside they aren’t quite as flashy as their threads…these same people are possibly beyond insecure with their identity and seek comfort in knowing that they look stellar.

Personally, I couldn’t care less about brand names…and to be quite honest I pity those that live by materialism. I believe that your value as a person is far more important than the value of your attire. I would rather spend $10 on perfectly functional sunglasses from Mickey Finns than throw away $100 on sunglasses that look “cool.” I’m pretty sure that the extra $90 doesn’t block the sun’s terrible rays from damaging my eyes any more, and I doubt UV radiation is affected by the aesthetics of Louis Vuitton. Yet what do I know? If you want to surround yourself with fancy things…well go for it, whatever makes you happy. Look at Paris Hilton; I’m sure she’s going to make a huge difference on our society in the best way possible AND she gets to pick what color her jumpsuit will be when she goes to jail. Maybe Versachi can design it for her too, that would be absolutely fabulous.