Is Capitalism Bad for Your Health?
Studying with Philip Rieff at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1980s, I read the works of many of Professor Rieff’s peers including David Riesman, Christopher Lasch, and Herbert Marcuse. Their books are increasingly relevant in understanding the impact of technology on mental health, particularly among younger people. As screen time increases so too has consumerism, alienation, and the erosion of shared values. The internet has intensified the psychological ramifactions of capitalism making these four theorists essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the crises we face today. Rieff, Riesman, Marcuse, and Lasch were prescient in recognizing the consequences of participating in — and continuously competing within — our economic system.
In “The Lonely Crowd” (1950), Riesman outlines a shift from “inner-directed” to “other-directed” personalities in American society. He argues that individuals increasingly seek validation from others rather than relying on their own values. This continual search for external validation (today that would be Like-s and Follow-s) leads to crises of identity wherein people struggle to understand who they truly are beyond how other people perceive them (today that would include how other people see them in two dimensions). The relentless pursuit of approval can result in feelings of inadequacy when we fail to compete with the personas we see around us.
In “One-Dimensional Man” (1964), Marcuse argues that advanced industrial society creates false needs that trap people in endless cycles of consumption, distracting them from genuine fulfillment. This focus on materialism leads to alienation, a loss of critical thinking, and the inability to envision alternatives to the status quo. The pressure to conform to societal ideals of success exacerbates mental health issues like depression and anxiety. as individuals grapple with their inability to attain an idealized version of themselves.
In “The Triumph of the Therapeutic” (1966), Rieff analyzes the rise of therapeutic culture in contemporary society, where personal well-being and happiness are prioritized over communal values and commitments. As a result, people find it increasingly difficult to find meaning in a world that elevates individual gratification over collective well-being. The emphasis on self-fulfillment actually leads to a sense of emptiness as people search for meaning in a fragmented society. This disconnection only deepens feelings of loneliness as individuals struggle to find lasting purpose.
In “The Culture of Narcissism” (1979), Lasch claims that consumer-based capitalism promotes self-absorption and superficiality. This cultural narcissism erodes traditional family and community structures resulting in isolation as individuals become more focused on self-promotion rather than forming genuine relationships. Lasch’s analysis of narcissism highlights how consumer-based capitalism also engenders isolation by encouraging self-centered behavior. As people become more focused on their own images and success, they neglect authentic connections with others, which leads to loneliness and alienation. The desire for external validation can create a cycle of self-absorption where people engage in superficial interactions rather than forming secure relationships.
Writing between 1950 and 1980, the above four theorists demonstrate how capitalism affects our mental health by promoting external validation, creating false needs, encouraging narcissism, and undermining shared values. Their insights resonate even more strongly in today’s digital landscape where social media amplifies these dynamics; people are constantly bombarded with images of success that engender feelings of inadequacy as they cannot continuously compete with the online personas of others.
In addition, there are many contemporary theorists who echo the aforementioned authors. In “The Sublime Object of Ideology,” Slavoj Zizek explores how our society’s underlying ideology shapes our desires and even our perceptions. He argues that ideology is not merely a set of beliefs but an unconscious structure that influences our actions and thoughts. By examining our society through a Lacanian psychoanalytic lens, Zizek demonstrates how deeply ingrained ideological narratives shape our understandings of reality while simultaneously masking the inherent contradictions within our society. Borrowing Lacan’s concept of “jouissance,” or enjoyment derived from engaging with ideology despite its oppressive nature, Zizek explains how individuals often find pleasure even within systems that exploit them.
In “Capitalism and Desire,” Todd McGowan further develops these ideas proposing that capitalism thrives on unfulfilled desires (lack) perpetuated by its very structure. Fellow Lacanian McGowan argues that capitalism exploits feelings of lack by promising satisfaction through consumption but ultimately deferring it indefinitely due to the fact that our minds are analogous to hedonic treadmills. This deferral keeps individuals trapped in cycles of desire, never achieving real fulfillment or happiness. McGowan’s analysis aligns with Zizek’s critique by emphasizing how both ideology and capitalism exploit human psychology, leading to pervasive dissatisfaction and mental health challenges.
In “The Burnout Society,” Byung-Chul Han argues that neoliberal capitalism fosters a culture of self-exploitation where we are driven to constantly achieve more, which leads to burnout. In “Psychopolitics” he critiques how neoliberalism manipulates emotions by commodifying them resulting in people feeling pressured to “optimize” and maximize productivity and efficiency at the expense of our mental health. And if you wish to relate all of the above to Gen-Z then check out Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation.”
The prevalence of psychological afflictions such as depression and anxiety can be linked to the pressures inherent to our economic system, which have been exacerbated by technology, the internet, and social media. To improve mental health in our society, we need to expose the exploitation, oppression, nepotism and corruption in our system and challenge the structures (such as boards of directors, stockholders) that prioritize profit over well-being. In addition, we must place a primacy on making genuine human connections by encouraging community engagement and valuing relationships over perpetual competition to increase material wealth, which is now often measured by zeroes and ones on a screen. Promoting communal values over putative financial “achievements” would help rebuild social connections and provide a sense of belonging for more people.
Redefining success beyond material and financial accumulation, which are often denoted by status symbols such as designer clothing and destination hotels, involves creating new narratives that prioritize emotional fulfillment and collective well-being. When I studied with Professor Rieff, he stated that the 1980s “greed is good” ideology exemplified by the bumper sticker “Whoever dies with the most toys wins” was an inversion of the truth “Whoever dies with the most toys… dies!” Maybe a better bumper sticker for 2025 would be “You can’t take it with you!”?
By shifting focus from individual achievement towards communal goals, we can mitigate the psychological toll of highly-competitive capitalism. Encouraging mindfulness practices, promoting work-life balance, and supporting mental health initiatives are essential steps toward creating environments where people can thrive emotionally and psychologically. We need to address the foundational problems inherent within our economic systems. Drawing on the insights from theorists such as Rieff, Riesman, Marcuse, Lasch, Zizek, McGowan and Han, we can start to build a more equitable society, restore the importance of connection over competition and commodification, and alleviate the mental health crises affecting so many people today.
