How did the Industrial Revolution lead to the rise of

consumerism and materialism?

(picture above: a shop bustling with people wanting to

buy their goods)

(picture on the left: with the rise of consumerism and

materialism, this meant that there were more job
opportunities to match with the production rate and also
showing how people work harder to get more income to
satisfy their “desires” of having more)

The Industrial Revolution in the 18th century changed the world from an agrarian and handicraft
economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. With so many economic,
political and social changes happening at once, there is no surprise that there would be countless
effects of the Industrial revolution. One of them being the rise of consumerism and materialism.
Consumerism refers to the consumption of goods at a higher rate while materialism is the idea
that everything is either made only of matter or is dependent on matter for its existence or nature.
An example could be how one favours a car more than their friend.

People of all ages in varying classes were affected by the rise of consumerism and materialism.
This was because anyone and everyone could have the desire of being materialistic or turning to
consumerism.

Unsurprisingly, the spread of the rise of materialism and consumerism was factored by the spread
of the Industrial Revolution. As more and more countries such as Japan, the US and Europe was
slowly influenced by Great Britain to start their own Industrial Revolution to develop as a nation,
the rise of consumerism and materialism slowly followed.

There were numerous impacts from the rise of consumerism and materialism, varying from being
negative and positive. Some of the positive impacts are an increase in industrial production,
growth rate economy, goods and services available, employment opportunities to manage the
production, comfort for a better lifestyle and a variety of goods to choose from. However, just like
everything else, there are also negative impacts such as the craving for goods being too high. The
wants and desires of people are too high with the increase in production of goods. People would
want to earn more and work harder in their job, forcing them to cope with stress and work
tensions, and also the possibility of ruining relationships as much time is spent in work. Crimes
such as theft and robbery might increase as the cravings become uncontrollable. Cheaper goods
would be imported from other places, affecting the growth of locally-based manufacturing
industries. Depletion of natural resources at a faster rate such as wood or coal to operate and
manufacture the goods in the factories and lastly pollution from the factories or by operating the
goods.

So, how did the industrial revolution lead to the rise of consumerism and materialism? The
industrial revolution allowed for a faster and more efficient production of goods. With the
production increasing over the decades, this meant that it required a proportional increase in
demand. Feeding on the basic desire of people to have more, there was a cycle of production and
consumption, leading to the rise of consumerism and materialism. The rise of consumerism and
materialism could be seen in the increasing opportunities for buying and selling goods becoming
faster and more efficient due to the rise of advancing technologies. Goods produced ranged from
food, clothing, furniture and many more.

Clarissa lee 9A

(planning)
Research question : how did the industrial revolution lead to the rise of materialism and
consumerism? (conclusion paragraph 5)
Guiding questions
- What is consumerism and materialism? (introduction paragraph 1)
- Who were affected by the rise of materialism and consumerism? (body paragraph 2)
- How did the rise of materialism and consumerism spread to other countries? (body paragraph 3)
- What were the Impacts of the rise of materialism and consumerism? (body paragraph 4)

Bibliography

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September 2019].
- www.learnodo-newtonic.com. 2019. No page title. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.learnodo-
newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-effects. [Accessed 29 September 2019].
- Learn Religions. 2019. What Is the Idea of Materialism?. [ONLINE] Available at: https://
www.learnreligions.com/what-is-materialism-history-and-definition-250580. [Accessed 29
September 2019].
- The British Library. 2019. The rise of consumerism - The British Library. [ONLINE] Available at:
https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/the-rise-of-consumerism. [Accessed 29 September
2019].