Because consumption today isn’t simply about buying the things you need and a few things that you don’t need, but like. It is about buying for the sake of buying. People try to define themselves through the things they buy. They think consumption excess gives them status, respect, and ultimately, emotional bonding. Research by psychologist Marsha Richins, PhD, proves that people have unrealistic expectations of what objects can do for them. "They think that having these things is going to change their lives,” Richins says.