Full Shopping Carts

Depression in America. What is the cause for the apparent recent increases? And are they really all that recent?
it is my belief that the depression comes form an "empty feeling" many Americans are experiencing. In "The Feminine Mystique" Betty Friedan describes this feeling of emptiness as a common ailment in the housewives of the 50's. The 1950's was a time of advertisement!!! NEW NEW NEW! Shop Till You Drop! Housewives bought more and more knickknacks for the home- keeping themselves busy. Friedan gives ridiculous statistics showing how truly unfulfilled the average housewife was. There are countless quotes, articles, diary entries as well as actual numbers. (this is in no way against housewives, I'm just getting to my point). Today, although we may not realize it, we are still affected by the 50's. American men and women are constantly pressured to buy. Shopping is still a women stereotype (and many commercials for the cooking and cleaning are still aimed towards them). And the 50's also left behind the feeling of emptiness. I watched a more current Documentary on America (several had this point in fact) and they all describe this 'mysterious depression". It is my opinion that we need to look to the past to find the answers of today. So, looking at the 50's, we can see that perhaps this ailment is caused by a lack of fulfillment in daily lives. Are we doing anything individually that is important to our community? The world? No, most people really are not (in my opinion). And to fill that emptiness of something meaningful, we do what is now becoming an American tradition. WE SHOP. We buy all the right outfits, home appliances, more crap that we don't need. More more and more. Because boy have they "GOT A BARGAIN FOR YOU" and because you "Need this new pair of shoes". Maybe pulling the latest fashion over your head isn't going to make this feeling go away.
Maybe what each of us needs is a cause. Something meaningful. So that at the end of the day we aren't restless, we feel complete.