When Something Loses its Meaning

How far has consumerism shifted the meaning of life?

I remember when I was a kid, the day before Eid al-Fitr, I would always feel anxious no matter what. I would keep thinking about how I was going to apologize to my parents and family. It always made me nervous, but as far as I knew, that was because I had addressed my mistakes and sincerely wanted them to forgive me. Now, I don’t worry that much, why?

In Islam, Eid al-Fitr is the day of victory. After spending a month of Ramadhan abstaining from lust, we finally reach our destination—to return to purity. Eid al-Fitr used to be a warm day that felt like gave us another chance to start anew. Because people realized their mistakes—the ones that are intentional or not, and sincerely apologized to others. No, its never felt like we needed other people’s approval or anything like that. But it was because in Islam, besides the relationship with God, there is also a reminder that relationships with other human beings are equally important too.

For me, it's change throughout the years. It seems like “forgive each other” is no longer the theme of the event anymore. We feel more anxious about the trendy clothes, preparing lots of cookies, and calculating how much money that we need to spend for Eid al-Fitr. I feel like Eid al-Fitr has lost its meaning. Its hard pill to swallow—not that I’m the most religious person who realizes all of this, but I can’t close my eyes about the reason behind it. Consumerism, for better or worse, is shifting the meaning of life.

Some people may disagree with me, and others will tell me that everyone has “the control” of it. But, really? Are we trying to lie to ourselves? Are we going to ignore all of those massive ads and affiliate programs that are endlessly conviencing us to buy more product to “complete” our lives? Who am I to talk about these topics, anyway? I don’t even have enough knowledge. But the truth is, its starting to affect many meaningful events in our daily lives.

I think I wrote this a few days after Eid al-Fitr, when I realized how far consumerism has taken hold these days. What do you think of it? Have you ever had a similar experience of realization, or any reflections on it?