STORY OF STUFF

The story of stuff was a documentary that was written and narrated
by Annie Leonard. The video discussed about the system through
which material goods pass through. It apparently consists of 5
elements including extraction, production, distribution,
consumption, and disposal. The video talked about the flaws in every
part of system and their wrong implications.
The main focus of the documentary was on consumption which was
regarded as “Golden Arrow”. After World War II, there was a whole
shift in paradigm and authoritarians started extensively emphasizing
on consumption. They preferred development in consumer goods
over health care, education, sustainability, and justice. To do this
they adopted two theories, planned obsolescence and perceived
obsolescence. Through these theories, goods are consumed for a
limited use and due to rapid advancement in technology, production
keeps updating and consumption continues.
Today, an individual is judged on his level of contribution to golden
arrow. He is not valued if he does not own or buy a lot of stuff.
Surprisingly, by participating in this system people are still not able to
achieve level of happiness and one major reason behind this
unsatiated state is the increasing role advertisements have started
playing in our lives. As the writer says,” They (ads) make us unhappy
in what we’ve.” Ads compel us to keep buying newer things as
keeping old things is a symbol of embarrassment. Hence, an
individual’s life is now circulated around earning, watching
commercials and shopping. Cycling around them he searches for
happiness and still ends up being unhappy.
Apart from this, Annie Leonard shares some alarming facts about
depleting natural resources from the world. Resources are being
used as if they exist in a linear system, however, they exist on a finite
planet. Moreover, in fulfilling the requirement of consumption, we
are trashing all the places. Deforestation, turning water undrinkable
through factory waste, all forms of pollution are some of the factors
responsible for foreseen crises.
Another important issue highlighted in the video is about how this
system forces people to work in factories. The writer regards it as
“beauties of system”, as despite knowing the fact that in production
toxic chemicals are used, still many people including women work,
which rises so many health risks. This is because the system leaves
no other option for them than to work in such harmful places and
keep contributing to the golden arrow.
The extensive use of toxic chemicals is another matter of concern. As
much as it affects factory workers, it also has effects over consumers.
Due to consumption of such chemicals by different means, it has now
become a part of our body causing various diseases. Moreover, it
brings more problem when products produced from those chemicals
are disposed through burning. By doing this, more harmful chemicals
are added in our environment.
After getting cognizant of all concerning facts and figures, this is
evident how humanity is harming itself and making survival
impossible day by day. Hence, it is now our duty to take a step and
adjust this system so that this world remains a place to be lived on
for our future generations. If this faulty system was introduced by
humans, then humans can play a role in improvising it as well.