Why have we become so lost in materialistic things?

Answer 1

Because, the iPhone is just too cool to resist.


I kid.
It's mostly pressure from society to have all the nicest things and to be in this constant race to have the most property to your name. People don't look at life and count their blessings anymore.

Answer 2

I think advertising has a lot to do with it. We get subtle messages in commercials and ads that says we need to buy something in order to feel good. After we see enough of this we become convinced that having enough of the right things will make us happy.
And of course, some people get more lost in this than others. Some people have bigger holes in their heart and a more pressing need to fill them with something. And then along comes a commercial and tells them, "This is what you're missing." It's very attractive.

Answer 3

Materialistic things are what Satan uses to take our eyes off of God (simplest answer).

Answer 4

The living entity is by nature pleasure-seeking. Now we are falsely seeking pleasure on the material platform and as a result we are becoming attached to the material things and entangled in the painful complexities of material existence.

This material world is perverted reflection of the original energy(the spiritual world). Now we are under reflection. We are trying to get substance from the reflection." Suppose a tree is reflected by the bank of a river, the exact. So if somebody dives into the river and tries to take fruit from that tree, it will not be possible because that is reflection. One has to go to the real tree. So we are hankering after life, we are hankering after pleasure in the material world and therefore material things, we are seeking pleasure in the reflection, mäyä(illusion). Therefore we are frustrated, confused. But from this reflection one can understand the reality. Just like the shadow, the five fingers. One person who is not misled, he can understand that the original palm has five fingers, although he cannot see it.
Similarly, from this energy, work of the energy in this material perverted reflection, one can understand that there is a reality. In the reality, in the abode of Krishna, the same things are there, the same trees are there, the same things are there, but they are original, personal energy. And here, they are simply imitation or perverted reflection.

Krishna in Bhagavad gita give the solution:

"Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little, who controls his body, mind and power of speech, who is always in trance and who is detached, free from false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and acceptance of material things, free from false proprietorship, and peaceful—such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization."
PURPORT
When one is purified by intelligence, he keeps himself in the mode of goodness. Thus one becomes the controller of the mind and is always in trance. He is not attached to the objects of sense gratification, and he is free from attachment and hatred in his activities. Such a detached person naturally prefers to live in a secluded place, he does not eat more than what he requires, and he controls the activities of his body and mind. He has no false ego because he does not accept the body as himself. Nor has he a desire to make the body fat and strong by accepting so many material things. Because he has no bodily concept of life, he is not falsely proud. He is satisfied with everything that is offered to him by the grace of the Lord, and he is never angry in the absence of sense gratification. Nor does he endeavor to acquire sense objects. Thus when he is completely free from false ego, he becomes nonattached to all material things, and that is the stage of self-realization. When one is free from the material conception of life, he becomes peaceful and cannot be agitated.

Answer 5

The "Ego" in man says to man, I want this, I want that, Give me this, Give me that, I must have that, I must have this,and on and on and on.

The human "Ego" has an insatiable hunger, and wants to consume everything that lies in its path.
Place some new toy in front of the "Ego" and it must have it
or it feels deprived.
This is why materialism is thriving in this day and age!

Answer 6

Because they've gotten so much better!

Back in the day, you wouldn't get overly attached to your plow or your butter churn. Sure, they made things easier, but ....

Answer 7

Sales of bananas are skyrocketing due to that philly in Denmark