Think systemically like the other guy said. Under capitalism consumption is purpose. I can’t blame people for wanting purpose. If you dislike consumerism, you need to create a system that gives people purpose in something else.

I also think that theoretically there’s not anything wrong with consumerism as long as the profits are distributed amongst the workers fairly, like with a cooperative with worker-owner-shareholders who democratically decide their own working conditions and hours and output.

With a large enough amount of stakeholders in that business (workers) who all have democratic decision-making power over the business, I doubt they would collectively decide to shit up the planet with waste or poison consumers since none of them would be shielded by extreme wealth from the effects of all that.

Sometimes people just want the shiny thing, thats okay. I think it would actually shine a bit better if it wasn’t made by slave or sweatshop labour in the global south and the profits didn’t all go evaporate in some private equity ponzi scheme.