Andrew Tatge’s Reviews > The Overspent American: Upscaling, Downshifting, And The New Consumer > Status Update

Some goods are prestige items. Underwear, computers, insurance, shoes have different degrees of visibility and marketing private aspects (4 wheel drive vehicle, pentium inside, Calvin Klein undies, bottled water) do extra to make unseen visible.
Consumerism in youth undermines energy for other things, even promote crime(?) so as not to be excluded or too low in social order. Crime helps some earn prestige items.

Happiness and comparing with community/neighbors shifted to comparing to comparing to wealthiest (more visible in media, no surprise). Upshifting in desire and dependence on wealth accelerates as people earned more; saving decreased at same time (!). Americans treat $ as taboo despite drive for it. Competitive spending has eaten away from public purse/goods/taxes/services.