Thinking before buying something is really important as, buying things you really don't need just increases your carbon footprint which is unfair for our environment as well. Spending over your budget also can lead yourself into difficult situation. It can also put you in financial issues too so that's why making the decision "is it worth it" or "do I really need it" is a good thing to think about before making a purchase.

I feel like humans want to buy things that are their wants and cause them to impulsively buy an item but that really is just a waste of money and increases your carbon footprint and if you keep impulsively buying things it could lead to overconsumption. Some good ways to be mindful about your purchases are to have a checklist and ask yourself questions to see if you really want it or not.

As teenagers we must reflect about our wants and needs, because unnecessary things will increase our carbon footprint to unhealthy levels which will lead to destruction of our earth and all living organisms. Overspending on only wants can lead to financial troubles, so spending wisely will benefit you and your bank account. Indulging in your wants can provide a sense of satisfaction and joy. however it is crucial that you find a balance between both a want and a need. Brands like amazon, nike, apple, are constantly developing new ways to hook in new shoppers and ways to get you to buy with tricks and tactics that influence your behavior is ways that you do not realize. Life on earth is not just about buying and spending but to live the life you are given to its fullest. Because in the end whoever dies with the most money and the most items do not win.

People never seem to think about what their purchases could do to the environment or will they even use them at all. People should actually think if they need something when at the check out line. All people should get to get items that they enjoy but that should not come at the cost of Earth.

I agree, people do not think about the consequences to their actions.

I agree with this, people are not thinking about what they're buying and how that will impact other people and organisms. I think treating yourself to something unnecessary once in a while is a good thing, like a treat if you pass a test or a reward for doing something difficult. As a society, we can struggle to think about how our actions that we are taking now are going to affect others in future generations. If you want to buy something just because it's cheap, think about if you are actually going to use for a long time. Otherwise it would end up adding to our landfills.

Shopping can be fun, but it can also be very harmful to the earth. Not to be offensive, but parents who spoil their children just buy whatever their children want, not thinking about the consequences. They buy them toys that they barely play with, clothes they never wear, throwing it all away in the trash. They don't think about where those things are going, possibly dumped out into the ocean, or strewn on the ground in a desolate place. But what about animals who live there? We need to think about what are actions cause us, even if they're not immediate.

Yes I agree that so many people just buy whatever they want but in the end they just end up throwing it away or never using it. To stop this I think that people could be more mindful about what they buy or maybe if they have clothes that they never use they could donate it to a charity or to goodwill.

I've actually never thought about it that way and I have to say I agree with you. We really need to put thoughts into what we buy if we also think about shoes that we buy that we sometimes don't wear can be wasted. I'm sure there are many more I will now be thinking more about what I buy  when I shop.

I agree with you because I think some animal may eat and get stuck in it .That is not good for the environment , our sea is gonna yo be with trash.

For me, I think I'll try to only go shopping for unnecessary things once every 1-3 months. (Is that still a lot?)

I agree and we have to think before we buy

People never seem to think about what their purchases could do to the environment or will they even use them at all. People should actually think if they need something when at the check out line. All people should get to get items that they enjoy but that should not come at the cost of Earth.

Also, I will try not to eat too much processed foods, and more organic, fresh foods.

I agree it has been a problem on youtube videos I see with YouTubers where the buy random stuff to look cool  and do nothing with it but some give it away like useful things !!

That's pretty cool!

Yes i agree, we should only be buying things that are needed. Especially with our clothes we should just be getting the necessary clothes for a week and buy new items when needed. Or even hand me downs are also good to get from relatives or even friends. I believe whenever you buy something i think everyone should just think about it first like how often are you going to use this item? Or is this something i actually need or could i save this money for other things like food.

Yes I agree buying new stuff lots has a huge impact on our earth. Maybe as a population when we are wanting a new clothing item we can look is thrift stores and buy second hand. This will help us reuse thing instead of getting thrown out.

i completely agree with this, buying new clothes or toys we don’t really need is really wasteful and not a good idea for our environment. especially if it is something you know you don’t need and will rarely use but are just but buying it for the sake of buying something. a great way to stop doing this is going to yard sales or getting hand me downs or even going to thrift stores, this can help our environment because less waste will be getting thrown into land fill and more things getting reused. another great thing to do is sewing your own clothes, even though the idea might seem daunting at first it really isn’t too difficult once you learn how. trucking clothes or making your own is also a great idea for saving your money to be able to buy things you really need later.

is it a want or a need bruh.

A want or a need and deciding between both can be a struggle for many people. A want is something that will enhance our quality of life and is not required to live. Food, Water, Space, shelter, these are needs that are requirements for survival and our own well-being. A want may improve your life and make you feel good or better once you have it but it will not stop you from starving or give you enough shelter or space to live in. Understanding the differences between these two can better deepen our choices that we make. Balancing wants and needs is crucial for overall happiness and decision making

i thunk that a lot of people buy objects and never use them, this is really a waste, so if you have to buy something make sure it's really useful.

i agree

I agree that if you buy something and don't use it why wast your money.

Yes always think before buying stuff because you might end up not using it, and it becomes a waste.

I agree because most people will see adds and buy it but not use it.

I agree

I agree because some people think it looks cool but they just never use it or they just leave it to get dusty and rusty and that is not good so you just throw it away all the time and your family might just always do this and it is bad for people so I suggest to only buy what you need like food or water and some toys.

I agree, that happens to me a lot. I buy things but I don't really use them. Just think about if you will use it before buying things.

I agree

I definitely agree, I need to work on this myself. When me and my family go shopping, I am always so tempted to just buy the first thing that I like in the store. Most times, the things that I want are snacks in single use packages. I have to remind myself that we have delicious food and snacks at home.

You can always reuse it on other stuff like crafts,costumes,DIY,home stuff,parties,or sell it.

I agree. If I ever don't use something I usually give it to a relative or donate so it  can be used as intended

I also agree because many items we want but not all we need, so we should try to limit ourselves to how much we buy.

I agree, if you accidently buy something and you can't return it, you could give it to a thrift store or sell it.

Huge Problem for me I buy a lot stuff I don't need so I been working on this.

I agree, there is a good amount of people who buy stuff that they just see and WANT instead of getting stuff that you WANT, get stuff that you NEED! There are a lot of people who can't even get stuff that NEED things such as food,clothes,water and other stuff that you NEED to survive in this world. Next time think about this post before you go out getting stuff that you don't necessarily "need" 

I personally agree to this. People might find difficulties to in purchasing things that look "cool" but not actually using them.

I have an idea that could help. Using the "48 hours" rule. After seeing the item you really really WANT to buy, you go home. For two straight days, if you keep thinking about the item nonstop, you must choose if it benefits you or not. If it benefits you and the environment, you may buy it. But if it doesn't benefit you, or you even forgot about the item, you shouldn't buy it.

I personally agree to this. People might find difficulties to in purchasing things that look "cool" but not actually using them.

I have an idea that could help. Using the "48 hours" rule. After seeing the item you really really WANT to buy, you go home. For two straight days, if you keep thinking about the item nonstop, you must choose if it benefits you or not. If it benefits you and the environment, you may buy it. But if it doesn't benefit you, or you even forgot about the item, you shouldn't buy it.

This is so true. We need to normalize not being influenced by the internet to buy things we won't use. We should only buy things that we need and less things that we only want.

I agree. Many people buy things that they dont need just because of trends. Even I buy things that I don't need.

I agree wholeheartedly. It is important in an increasingly consumerist world to learn to know when you need something vs when you want something. Being able to decide what is good and what isn't saves me money in the short-term, and saves the environment in the long term.

Yes, I often find myself getting ready to spend money just because I have it. I was in this situation yesterday, and I had to stop and think, "Am I actually going to use these, or do I just think they look cool?" In the end, I saved my money, and one less useless thing was bought.

I completely agree! I think i’m guilty of getting something unnecessary here and there but this is a big problem. Buying unnecessary things like cheap toys, mass amounts of meat, and clothes you’re never going to wear. Things like cheap toys are fun for a moment but especially as you get older you’re truly not going to use that and it’s gonna go in the garbage and into the ocean. Things like mass amounts of meat from costco can be helpful for some people because it’s cheaper and easier, but if you’re going to let half of that go bad then it’s really a huge waste for how much carbon footprint the process to make that meat just left. And i know many people who buy clothes they don’t wear but if you’re not gonna donate those and just throw them away then it’s such a waste, and what did you get out of it? maybe a tiktok post and a haul for your friends but you won’t even remember it in a year, and the environment will live with that possibly 200+ years.

Thats a really good point. I sometimes buy things I dont need and never use them. I think we all need to think before we buy things and ask ouselves "do I really need this"?.

Most of us humans are addicted to electronics nowadays because they control our everyday life; but what if we could limit our time on electronics. How can we do that? One way we can break our addiction from electronics is to be more active. For example, taking time out of your day to get some exercise in, whether its working out doing weights by yourself or signing up for gym classes getting daily exercise is very beneficial. Another example could be to go on walks or bike rides. Going on walks or even jogging can help take your time off electronics and can help you appreciate the world more. Ultimately, it's hard to break an addiction, but the more effort you put in to try to break it, the easier it will get over time.

Wow! you hit it right on the nail, I sometimes catch myself just unusually using my telephone even when I know I should be I am learning that its okay to not use it some times and not over use it when I don't need to. Thank you so much I definitely will.

The newest technology could be both a want and a need. If you're a "bratty kid" that wants the newest technology to be in trend with the others, it's a need. But if you actually need the newest technology, for example for your job as an adult, it could be an important need.

I strongly think that having the newest technology is a want and not a need. If you already have a device that works perfectly fine you don't need a new one.

Attempting to keep up with the trends on what technology is best as an adolescent is not considered a need, however I agree that updated technology is a necessity if an individual is an adult and needs those upgrades in order to continue their professional work.

I think you meant to say that the "bratty kids" need for the newest technology is a want. I completely agree with the statement that having the newest technology isn't always necessary because at the end of the day, it leads to waste of the "older technology" in order to make room for the newer ones. I think that in areas such as the health field, it is an absolute need for their technology to be consistently up to date and renewed. Areas of expertise such as this one will benefit the entire community if they have access to these technologies.

I agree with your statement because most people this generation just want the newest technology to fit in with the others. With that being said, I think people that deserve the newest technology are people that need it for their jobs. Sometimes old technology can become too slow so that is why people with important jobs need the best technology that they can get.

Hey, I agree with what you're saying. And I'm also curious as to how big is the average carbon footprint in your region?

There is a big difference between desire and need.
Desire is that thing that we want, but it is not necessary.
Need is that thing we cannot live without (for example water, gas, bread, etc.)

I'm completely agree. A big part of our footprint comes from our carbon emissions and what we do within our homes, and your information can be used on other topics to discern the difference between the two words you have listed above. And maybe spread even more awareness to what we do in our spare time and overall lives.

Consumerism is definitely one of the biggest problems of our society. Whether it's wanting the newest clothes or technology, we have the mindset of always needing more. To combat my personal problem with it, I have started dividing my wants and needs. I don't count the majority of foods as a want, along with healthcare or basic necessity items. My wants are typically categorized into materialistic needs. Something that has personally helped me is converting the price of items into how many hours I'd have to work to be able to afford it. If I feel like it's not worth my work, then I find it's easier to walk away form the item.

https://www.becomingminimalist.com/consumer-isnt/

some people exaggerate with shopping which is a desire not a necessity, there are many things they don't need but they still spend a lot of money on things harmful to the environment