The Consumer Society (by Jean Baudrillard)

Jean Baudrillard’s "The Consumer Society" analyzes how modern societies prioritize consumption, shaping identity and social relations through the endless desire for goods and experiences. Instead of fulfilling needs, consumption becomes a way to define status and meaning, creating a focus on appearances and signals rather than substance. This culture encourages people to seek satisfaction through possessions and media images, leading to a cycle of desire and consumption that often leaves deeper fulfillment elusive. Baudrillard suggests that in such societies, reality is replaced by simulated images and signs, blurring the line between genuine needs and manufactured desires.