Most Americans have a mix of values, but around 3 in 10 are closer to either extreme—either prolific consumers or truly content.
Heading into the busiest shopping season of the year, many Americans may find meaning and purpose while they’re picking up gifts for others and themselves.
A Lifeway Research study asked 1,200 U.S. adults their level of agreement with 10 statements related to issues of consumerism and contentment. Most Americans find themselves with a mix of values. Around 3 in 10 are closer to either extreme—29% would be classified as prolific consumers and 32% are truly content.
“As people describe the things and experiences they have and their attitude about getting more, their stories include a wide variety of perspectives. So, we can be assured that on the biggest shopping days of the year such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there will be large numbers of Americans enjoying the search for better things but also large numbers very happy to sit it out,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
Consumeristic mindset
When it comes to evaluating their own lives, more than 2 in 5 Americans say they want more nice things. They’re less likely, however, to agree that their consumerism veers into jealousy.
U.S. adults are evenly split over their desire for new tech. Almost half (48%) agree they like to have the latest technology, while 51% disagree and 1% aren’t sure.
More than 2 in 5 Americans (43%) say they are driven to accumulate nice things. More than half (55%) disagree, and 2% aren’t sure. Similarly, 43% say shopping makes them feel worthwhile, 55% disagree and 3% aren’t sure.
Slightly fewer judge their progress based on accumulating high-quality possessions. Two in 5 (41%) believe they are getting ahead when they have nice things, 56% disagree and 3% aren’t sure.
Far fewer Americans (16%) admit it troubles them when friends have nicer things than they do. More than 4 in 5 (82%) disagree, and 1% aren’t sure.
“Though few buy things to match or exceed what their friends have, it is likely that the new things people pursue they learn about from friends,” said McConnell. “Pursuing more, better, and newer is enjoyable for many, but it is also common for people to eventually hop off the consumption cycle especially at a stage of life that they comparatively have more wealth.”
Overall, adults younger than 50 and those who attend church more than once a week are more likely to fall into the consumer mindset. Conversely, females, those 65 and older, those without evangelical beliefs and those who attend church less frequently are less likely to be consumeristic.
The younger a person is, the more likely they are to agree they like to have the latest technology, are driven to accumulate nice things and are troubled when their friends have nicer things. Additionally, those under 35 are among the most likely to say shopping makes them feel worthwhile (69%) and they know they are getting ahead when they have nice things (57%).
Religious service attendance is correlated to embracing a consumeristic mindset. Those who attend more than once a week are the most likely to say shopping makes them feel worthwhile (61%) and they know they are getting ahead when they have nice things (56%). They are also among the most likely to say they are driven to accumulate nice things (61%) and like to have the latest technology (55%).
“The most devout practitioners of faith typically are better able to avoid vices. Yet we see that those attending religious services the most often also are the most likely to want to be overachievers in consuming nice things,” said McConnell.
Still, Protestants are among the least likely to agree with several consumerist statements, including they like to have the latest technology (43%), shopping makes them feel worthwhile (39%), they know they are getting ahead when they have nice things (37%) and they’re troubled by friends having nicer things (16%). They are also most likely to disagree that they are driven to accumulate nice things (63%).
Contented mindset
Most Americans believe they have enough stuff but wouldn’t mind having more of what it takes to buy more.
When they look in their closets, most U.S. adults believe they’re doing OK. Four in 5 (81%) say they have enough clothes and shoes, 18% disagree and 1% aren’t sure. Additionally, another 4 in 5 (80%) say they have enough entertainment in their life, while 19% disagree and 1% aren’t sure.
More than 3 in 4 (77%) believe they have enough toys or things they enjoy, like games, tools, cars, etc. Around 1 in 5 (20%) disagree, and 3% aren’t sure. Seven in 10 (71%) believe they have enough fun experiences in their lives, while 28% disagree and 1% aren’t sure.
Yet, 44% of Americans say they have enough money. Most (54%) disagree, and 2% aren’t sure.
“It is unclear if the much lower contentment in the amount of money people have is rooted in a desire for more discretionary spending, a need to pay off debt from past purchases, a lack of basic necessities, or a lack of contentment with financial security,” said McConnell. “People may not understand the economy, but they do understand their wallet. And much of what Americans care about is tied to desiring more money.”
In general, adults 65 and older and those who attend church are more likely to say they’re content. Those who are 35-49 and those who don’t have evangelical beliefs are less likely to be content.
Catholics (50%) and Protestants (45%) are more likely than religiously unaffiliated (36%) to say they have enough money.
Those who attend a religious service more than once a week (69%) are most likely to agree they have enough entertainment (96%), fun experiences (93%) and money (69%). Those frequent worshipers are also among the most likely to say they have enough of the things they enjoy (88%).
Those with evangelical beliefs are also more likely than those without such beliefs to say they have enough clothes and shoes (86% v. 80%), toys (83% v. 75%), fun experiences (80% v. 68%) and money (54% v. 41%).
For more information, view the complete report.
Methodology
The online survey of 1,200 Americans was conducted Aug. 14-30, 2024, using a national pre-recruited panel. Quotas and slight weights were used to balance gender, age, region, ethnicity, education, religion and evangelical beliefs to more accurately reflect the population. The sample includes an over-sample of Americans with evangelical beliefs, providing additional reliability for breakouts of this group. Totals for all Americans reduce these responses to their correct proportion through weighting. The completed sample is 1,200 surveys. The sample provides 95% confidence the sampling error from the panel does not exceed plus or minus 3.3%. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.
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