| − | '''Consumerism''' is when the consumption of [[goods]] and [[services]] in a culture increases to an extent beyond what people need; the suffix '-ism' denotes the observation that many critics make that consumer society often functions as a quasi-[[religious]] experience, providing comfort and a goal in life. | + | '''Consumerism''' is when the consumption of [[goods]] and [[services]] in a culture increases to an extent beyond what people need. |