Happiness: that contemporary imperative

Abstract

The document addresses how modern society has shaped the understanding of happiness in the context of capitalism and consumer culture. Here, happiness has been transformed into a social imperative driven by the relentless pursuit of material goods and high consumption. The document criticizes the erroneous relationship between well-being and the possession of objects, highlighting the fact that, despite increased consumption and technological advancement, mental well-being does not improve. It is noted here that the pursuit of happiness has become more closely associated with consumption since technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) claim to improve life and provide satisfaction. However, in reality, this approach does not lead to authentic well-being and may even exacerbate mental health issues. Furthermore, social expectations, regardless of contextual limitations, have created a need to be happy that now becomes a burden, increasing frustration and discomfort. The paper also considers the notion of happiness offered by consumerist society and how this concept has been stripped of its true content; for these people, happiness is not a goal but is constituted from experiences.