People have taken different approaches to dealing with the current economic situation. While some people spend their time extreme couponing, searching for the best bargains or digging themselves deeper into debt, others are taking an entirely different approach. There has been a rise in minimalism, or living with less, over the past few years. In Affluenza, John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor refer to the idea of “voluntary simplicity” which is described by Cecile Andrews as a way for people to “meet their real needs instead of the false needs that advertisers create. They learn to live in ways that are high fulfillment, but low environmental impact,” (p. 184). This movement is similar to the Minimalist movement that has been on the rise over the past few years. Both movements, has well as many other living with less movements, are focused mainly on the reduction of material items to counteract the growing consumerism in our country, as well as finding a deeper meaning in life through the elimination of these items.
Bloggers such as, Joshua Becker of “Becoming Minimalist” and Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of “The Minimalists” write about their experiences in simplifying their lives. They offer help, support and ideas for others who are considering becoming minimalists themselves. Joshua Becker provides a list of “101 Things That Can Be Reduced In Your Home” in one of his entries, which contains items that many people would view as household staples, including pots, pans, mirrors and towels. While he’s not suggesting that one get rid of all of these items entirely, he is suggesting that people cut down on each to the fewest number necessary. Additionally, Joshua Becker suggests increasing the use of technology in life so as to cut down on the number of possessions one owns. In an interview with Christina Hernandez Sherwood for the article “Becoming minimalist: when having fewer possessions means living a better life” Becker states, “There are times when technology makes minimalism very easy. For example, with the Kindle you don’t have to own physical books. [With scanners] we can scan our papers and documents. [With] digital cameras, you’re able to store your photos digitally. You don’t need to get a newspaper delivered to your home. You can read it online. But it’s easy to go too far. The collection of technology to collect technology becomes cumbersome. Technology needs support and time and energy to invest in it. There’s a balancing act of using it to make your life simpler, but also not complicating your life.”
While this idea has been around for decades, it has taken on a new form with the growth of technology. Blogs and online forums have become a new form of the “study circles” mentioned in Affluenza. Technology also has allowed for people to own fewer physical items, but one must also wonder, is the increased use of technology rather than physical belongings just a different form of consumption? Are people truly cutting down on consumerism if they are instead relying on computers, Kindles, scanners and digital cameras? Many minimalists set a target number of items they would like to cut down to, do you think the average American could cut down to just 100 items like some of these minimalists?
