Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan J Busch talks to Dr. James Roberts, author of the book Shiny Objects.
They discuss the staggering frequency of commercials in daily life, how it’s easier to avoid than resist the temptation to shop, and the convincing argument that money and possessions don’t make people any happier.
Table of contents
[00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch
[00:33] Interview with Dr. James Roberts
– [00:45] According to science, happiness doesn’t increase with spending or owning things
– [04:16] The media encourages us to shop, and it’s effective
– [05:12] Instead of being frugal or wasteful, try to be unconflicted
– [07:10] Commercials, product placements and unrealistic portrayals of life
– [09:48] Credit cards make you overestimate your available wealth
– [12:12] Perceived obsolescence
– [15:31] Several ways to avoid temptation instead of resisting it
– [21:39] Convince yourself that money and possessions won’t make you happier
[22:46] End
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Theme music by Mindcube.
Updated December 22, 2011 and originally published December 4, 2011. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
