Life in Italy vs. Life in the United States: Shopping

Shopping culture is very different in Italy than it is in the United States. Here in the United States we live in a "consumer society" that throws out nearly 99% of the things we buy after owning them for 6 months. We live off of the latest technology, the latest equipment, and the latest trends. In Italy, however, consumption has actually decreased in the past year. On the last day of my home stay my family and I went to a local Italian shopping mall to play at the arcade and get gelato. Upon entering the mall I observed the layout. The first thing I noticed was that there were no fast food restaurants, and if there were then they had a better quality than in America. First we stopped to get gelato, and I observed many shops that I recognized from America: Federico even stopped into GameStop! There were many more niche shops in the Italian Mall, including a stationary shop and a shop specializing in pens that we do not have in America. In the good court there was a As we walked through the mall I noticed that, unlike in America, there were no people carrying bags upon bags on their arms. There was a lack of consumption about the mall. I attributed this back to the Italian way of life, which is usually much less materially focused than the American one. Throughout my entire home stay experience, I noticed very little need for physical possessions, but more a need for family, friends, and an enjoyment of life. This is definitely something I have taken back with me to America, and it has inspired me to waste less and live a less materialistic life.

the Italian Shopping Mall I Visited With my Homestay Family