Disposable society

Hey guys and girls, it’s been an awful long time since I last posted on here. Sorry about the delay. After I finished my exams and stuff I pretty much went into hibernation/socialising mode. Can’t believe it’s already been over two weeks since the exams, the scariest part is that my results are out in less than 24hours! =S I can’t lie, I’m VERY nervous and am keeping my fingers and toes crossed, touching lots of wood and praying that I somehow pull this off. It’s really weird ATM, cos I know Uni is over but I feel like I deserve a summer holiday even though I KNOW I need to get on top the job applications. Hopefully I’ll manage to find something and soon, cos not only is it time to grow up but also my bank balance is not particularly impressed with me as of late. Anyway, enough about me, and on  to today’s topic... The disposable society, enjoy! 

These days it seems as though we live in somewhat of a disposable society. With most things around us we use and dispose of. Take for example food packaging, we buy things in packets and boxes and unnecessary amounts of wrapping and ultimately these are tossed into bins without a second thought for landfills and how environmentally unfriendly our actions are. Everything just seems so, here and now, if you will. Just so temporary without any thought about sustenance. And it’s very similar with other aspects of life, clothing, furniture, even the structures of homes these days is questionable, new flats are built like cardboard boxes! I mean, I suppose you could say that this is a side effect of mass consumerism. Cheap and cheerful seems to be the way everything around us is. 

But is this disposable attitude beginning to affect other parts of our lives? I mean look at the way our friends are treated. Obviously it’s impossible to stay in touch with all our friends all the time but regularly we stay in touch with minimal numbers. I’ve seen a few people from my past randomly and I always stop to say hi but some people look down and pretend that they haven’t seen you. Apart from being outright rude it just shows the extent of which people ‘move on.’ I totally understand that it is near enough impossible to stay in touch with all the friends you have all the time, I mean  truthfully, some of my friends I see once a year at a push. 

But I find that many people enter a new situation knowing that they will not be in touch with the people around them after the time frame of interaction. I guess to some extent it shows people are some what fake but it can also be argued that this approach is practical. You will have friends at school, college, uni, work etc; most of which you will only speak to during those times and a select few may become life long friends. But the fact that we can, without a thought, move on and ‘forget,’ the past makes me weary. Yes the world is constantly changing and in this day and age we have the opportunity to meet more people and do more things than ever before, but hey, don’t take it for granted, it wasn’t always like this. Don’t forget the people that helped you out in the past, make an effort! They must have been your friends for a reason, stop concentrating on yourself for a minute and ask how they are doing! 

Another aspect of our disposable mindset is relationships. People move from relationship to relationship to relationship with such speed and with no regard for letting themselves heal or move on properly. It creates the impression that not only did they not fully give themselves to the previous partner but also that the old partner was so easily replaceable, similar to the IKEA furniture (okay that may not have been the best example, what about Primark tshirt) or I dunno, the sandwich from the shop. You use, get your moneys worth and bin it, before proceeding to consume another. I hear people defending themselves, “oh I’m just having a bit of fun,” call me old fashioned but I personally think that if you don’t see a long term potential with your partner you shouldn’t be in the relationship. I think many relationships come to an end simply because people are not willing to work on their problems, opting to simply just replace as opposed to mend. Rather like a pair of trousers, you rip the knees (I realise this can be considered a fashion statement! =P) and you go to pick up another pair rather than sew it back. 

People are often out there looking for their dream partner like a that wonderful pair of shoes. Like you’re out shopping for a life partner!! Someone/something perfect. Ticking all the boxes:

                *Tall – check

                *Dark – check

                *Handsome – check

Or even:

                *Comfortable – check

                *Matches my bag/outfit – check

                *Glamorous – check 

But even though you’re looking for the perfect man/woman/shoes, your definition of perfect is likely to change tomorrow! 

The world is moving so fast that nothing remains in fashion for very long. Technology, clothing, the economy, EVERYTHING is moulding and changing rapidly. And our response to that is to adapt, to change the things we own/do to respond effectively, but ultimately this means constant change and disposal of the old to welcome the new. But that doesn’t mean it has to affect other aspects of our lives. Think about it. Make do with what you have, appreciate the things and people you have around you. 

That’s all for now.

-K

P.S. I know this one was short but I’m hoping to post again on Monday! So keep your eyes peeled for the next post!