It is true that individual consumption has generally increased in the world today, among people in both developed and developing countries. While this should lead to increasing happiness, particularly in developed countries where consumption is greater, this is not always the result. It is necessary to explore and understand the reasons for this. I would argue that people are happier when they have a useful role to play in their community, but societies are breaking down. One major factor is the growing influence of commercial advertising, which has helped to create today’s consumer society. Its influence is global, but its chief target audience is consumers in developed countries, because they have the greatest spending power. Another factor is the population shift of people to cities. Over half the world’s population live in cities, but in Japan and the USA, for example, the figures are more than 90% and 80% respectively. Cities are concrete jungles, where socia...