In the United States, it has been made apparent that life is convenient. We have larger stores such as Walmart and Target for our everyday needs; as well as Costco and larger supermarkets like Publix. All of these services are open for long hours every day of the week, only closed on very certain holidays if that. Having these stores available to us almost 24/7 (hours usually 8 am-11 pm) depending on the store, allows us to experience life with ease, knowing that we have access to our needs: food, water, clothes, toiletries, medicine, etc whenever is necessary. With these stores, satisfaction is almost immediate because all of our necessities are usually in stock, and if one store doesn’t have it, there will probably be another one 10 minutes away.
Along with these stores, there is amazon. The company that is slowly taking over the United States. This is near as convenient as going to the store if not more. Amazon can ship anything you wish for directly to your house within 24 hours so you don’t even have to leave the house. While Amazon is an international company and ships all over the world, in some parts of Europe where I have lived, Amazon either does not deliver or it will take weeks.
Overall, I am very appreciative of this convenience in American living, and it truly does make life easier; however I am not entirely sure that means it’s better. In the United States, we are overwhelmed by hundreds of options for the simplest things; for example, if you go into a pet store you will find at least 50 brands of different cat foods, 20 different types of litter boxes, and hundreds of toys. Having that selection is nice, but very unnecessary. From my own experience living in rural Hungary, moving my cat here was a shock. Pet stores were an eighth of the size, with ten food brands, and 2 types of litter boxes. At first, I was taken aback by the lack of options and was kind of confused. Being “restricted” with my options for something as minuscule as cat food made me realize how spoiled we are in the United States. In reality, we only need 10 brands of cat food, and 2 different size litter boxes, and people who have only lived in the US do not realize that.
By having the convenience of Amazon and Walmart, and generally an overwhelming amount of options for EVERYTHING we are increasing the negative effects of capitalism on our society in the United States. We do not need all these materialistic things, and therefore the production and transport of these goods are also unnecessary and just negatively affect the environment and the livelihoods of people in third-world countries. For the United States to have so many products and stores to be open so late is ruining the quality of life for the working class of the states as well as the working class in countries such as China and Taiwan where the majority of our products are imported from.
Europe, on the other hand, respects people’s personal lives and well-being as well as the environment. By having more selective opening hours for stores, being closed on Sundays in most places, and not having full access to things like amazon deliveries it makes life just slightly less convenient, but SIGNIFICANTLY better. It helps people live slower, less capitalist lives which will help better the planet in the long run.
People who have never been to the United States, in my own experience with family and friends coming to visit me, have always been amazed by the sizes of our stores and the variety they carry. You would think they are enticed by these materialistic, convenient options, however, the majority of Europeans or outsiders from the American culture, look down upon our commercialist lifestyle. Having lived with fewer selections all their lives they’ve learned to adjust and appreciate life without the United States capitalism ruining the environment and mentalities of its citizens.
Having already experienced this shock living in Europe with my family for weeks at a time is going to help me ease into life in Italy. Not being able to get whatever I want from amazon delivered to my doorstep whenever I want is going to be difficult to adjust, as that is what I’m used to, but I’m excited to embark on this healthier lifestyle!