I recently came across some posts online where some were against consumer materialism, but surprisingly, there were a few that argued how materialism is misunderstood or isn’t always bad for people. And it made me pause. We have all heard the line that “Money can’t buy happiness.” But at the same time, we also know that we do need money as it is essential to our day-to-day life. This raised two questions for me. How much do material possessions actually contribute to happiness and contentment? And equally important, where do we draw the line between healthy consumption and the kind that slowly erodes our well-being?
According to the traditional definition of materialism, it is about the importance people attach to material possessions. However, research has moved on from the traditional definition of the concept. A recent study proposes a new concept called the dual model of materialism, which distinguishes between happiness materialism and success materialism. Happiness materialism refers to the belief that buying more will directly make one happier, whereas success materialism can be considered a symbol of achievement or progress. According to the study results, happiness materialism consistently predicted lower well-being, and in contrast, success materialism predicted higher future life satisfaction. For example, let’s say two people are buying the same expensive smartphone. One person buys it, believing that owning the latest model of the phone will make them feel happier. The other person buys the phone after getting promoted at work; the phone becomes a symbol of their achievement at work. This represents success materialism. Although the object is the same, the meaning behind the purchase is different, and accordingly, its impact on their well-being can be different.
Hence, we can say that when happiness is directly tied to material purchases, it is likely to lead to lower well-being. But when they are linked to an outcome or a goal, they are more likely to predict higher well-being in the future. This is supported by another longitudinal study, which found that over time, people who place importance on materialistic things experience lower subjective well-being. This is because materialistic goals can interfere with psychological needs like autonomy, competence, and relatedness if they are not met. As materialistic consumption indirectly relies on fulfilment of these needs, failing to meet them can lead to a lower life satisfaction. At the same time, if the psychological needs are satisfied, individuals tend to be less materialistic, which is also associated with higher well-being.
But if materialism can undermine well-being over time, an important question remains: why do people continue to chase new possessions in the hope that they will make them happier? One explanation lies in a psychological process known as the Hedonic Treadmill. To put it simply, when we buy something new, happiness increases temporarily, but after a while, it fades away. To chase a similar feeling, individuals try to reach out for their next purchase, which leads to an endless cycle of acquisition and adaptation, as mentioned by the researchers. This process is also called hedonic adaptation. This happens because people quickly become accustomed to positive changes in their lives, which causes the emotional impact of new possessions to diminish over time. As this adaptation occurs, their happiness gradually returns to its usual level, which leads them to seek new sources of consumption in order to recreate the same feeling. This pattern is also reflected in Easterlin Paradox, which suggests that although higher income is associated with greater happiness initially, long-term increases in income do not necessarily lead to sustained improvements in well-being, as rising incomes also raise people’s comparison standards.
This is further linked to another process: social comparison. Research suggests that when people frequently compare what they have with what others possess, they are more likely to develop stronger materialistic values. It was found that personal relative deprivation, rather than household income, contributed to materialism. Over time, this sense of relative disadvantage can push individuals to place greater importance on acquiring money and possessions. Furthermore, social media influences this social comparison as well. As people engage with social media platforms more and more, they are more likely to encounter curated posts that may lead to social comparison, which can increase their temptation to make more purchases. Additionally, individuals who have stronger materialistic values are also more likely to engage in social comparison and spend more time on social media, which can lead to lower life satisfaction.
However, some researchers also suggest that the relationship between materialism and happiness is rather complex. A study suggests that materialism is not always harmful, but its effects depend on how people evaluate their standard of living. When individuals compare their lives to ideal or unrealistic standards of wealth, they are more likely to feel dissatisfied with their material life, which can then spill over into lower overall life satisfaction. People may turn to materialism in order to restore self-esteem, as a status symbol, or to reinstate their identity. It may also be used to boost confidence in periods of uncertainty. This suggests that materialism may not be entirely bad; it just depends on the motives behind the behavior.
Material possessions can certainly improve comfort and convenience, and in many ways, they are an unavoidable part of life. While certain forms of materialism may reflect achievement or personal goals, if one gets too accustomed to the behavior, it can lead to a cycle of constant consumption and adaptation to satisfy one’s emotional needs. This can also explain the growing shift toward spending on experiences rather than possessions, as experiences tend to provide more enduring happiness, as it stems from anticipation for the experience beforehand, followed by greater satisfaction during the experience and lasting positive memories afterwards. If possessions alone cannot sustain happiness, then perhaps the real issue is not material goods themselves, but our expectations of what they can provide.
Apoorva Thakur
