IN THE ARTICLE, EXTENSION NEWS COLUMN, IT BRINGS UP THE POINT THAT MATERIALISM CAN ACTUALLY BE THE RESULT OF LOW SELF ESTEEM. IT SAYS, "THE WORSE TEENS FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES, THE MORE THEY RELY ON MATERIAL ITEMS.." (DINSTEL 1). THIS QUOTE IS ACCURATE FOR ANY AGE. MATERIALISM NOT OLY DESTROYS SELF ESTEEM, BUT ALSO RELATIONSHIPS. LOVING MONEY OVER FAMILY AND FRIENDS IS DAMAGING WITHIN ITSELF. THE MEDIA AROUND US IS CONSTANTLY TELLING US THAT THE MORE YOU HAVE THE HAPPIER YOU'LL BE. THAT LIE IS SAD AND OFTEN BELIEVED. PEOPLE THAT GO ABOUT LIFE CONSTANTLY WANTING NEVER TRULY FIND WHAT THEIR LOOKING FOR. ITS A SAD CIRCLE.

In my novel, The Beautiful and Damned, the two main characters are constantly chasing after material "things". They are never truly fulfilled. In the article it says, "when people spend their effort pursuing material goods..they're ignoring other, more effectively routes" (Dinstel 1). This is exactly what the two characters did. They partied, drank, and spent. Everything went downhill. They never took time to focus on relation with others.