Summary
The belief that obtaining material possessions can lead to happiness and fulfillment is frequently promoted by consumer culture. Hegel's concept of alienation, however, indicates that this striving may result in a feeling of estrangement from both others and one's actual self. According to Hegel, alienation is a condition in which people feel cut off from others or from their actual selves. One could contend that consumer culture in today's society contributes to a feeling of alienation. In a capitalistic world where money is argued to equate to happiness, consumerism is just a by-product (word play? No? Sorry). To satisfy a need or live up to social norms, people frequently purchase unnecessary goods, which causes them to become disconnected from their own needs and ideals. The dopamine that is interchanged with such consumer culture causes distance between the self, and values. Materialistic values isolate and redefine the sense of identity one acquires through being imbedded in society when being self-aware.
The sale signs down the paths of SoHo are flashy, fresh, fun, fashionable, and fundamentally the downfall of the sense of self. Identities are constantly being packaged and sold to us in pretty flashing colors where you can be anything you want from “cottage-core princess” to “the corporate baddie”. Though these forms of self-defining methods are packaged in stores, it is a way for consumers who are also victims of capitalism to at least see the light at the end of the tunnel which further perpetuates such market goals. When people value material belongings over deep connections, consumerism can also contribute to a feeling of social estrangement. When people are more concerned with appearances and status symbols than with common beliefs or experiences, it can result in shallow relationships and a lack of genuine attachment. In relationships, people may experience this alienation, feeling alone or unconnected even when they are surrounded by people due the idea of a connection being washed out through consumer culture.
The master-slave dialectic of Hegel examines the processes that establish acknowledgment and authority in interpersonal interactions. Similar power dynamics may be seen in consumer culture in the interactions between companies and customers as well as between individuals themselves.