Affluenza

BBC Learning 1 EnglishWeekenderAffluenza
Jackie:  Hello, welcome to Weekender. I'm JackieDalton and today we're going to talk about 'affluenza' –that's a word you've probably not heard before– but don't worry, that's because it's only just beeninvented, by a man called Oliver James.
　　Oliver James is a psychologist – someone whose jobinvolves the study of the mind and how it affects people'sbehaviour. He has invented the word 'affluenza' to describea problem that he says is affecting a lot of people andmaking them very unhappy. It's not a real word that youwould find in the dictionary, but it's a mixture of twowords.
　　'Affluenza' is a mix of the word 'affluent 2', which means tohave lots of money and expensive things and 'influenza 3',which is a disease 4, like a cold, that people can catch fromeach other.
　　So what is 'affluenza' all about? What is causing thisstrange so-called'disease' that Oliver James says is spreading and makingpeople miserable 5? Listen to him explain what he means.
　　Oliver JamesIt’s placing a high value on money, possessions,appearances – physical and social - and fame…Jackie:  Oliver James says 'affluenza' is the resultof people giving a lot of importance to things like money,fame and possessions – possessions – the things you own.
　　He also says it's about placing a high value on appearances– what you look like – physically 6 and socially. Thepeople who think these things are very important usuallyend up less happy than other people.
　　Oliver has been looking at fourteen different countries –he says that people living in English speaking countriesare more likely to suffer from affluenza than people in therest of Europe. In fact, people living in English speakingnations are twice as likely to suffer from mental illnesses– and he believes this is because they place moreimportance on affluence 7 than the rest of Western Europe.
　　He says that people suffering from affluenza look for whathe calls ‘confected wants’ – the wants that businessesand advertisers want you to want – not things you actuallyneed to be happy.
　　Oliver JamesYou're constantly searching confected wants – the wantsthat advertisers and big businesses want you to want andyou end up having rather than being.
　　Jackie:  Confected wants - an unusual term for whatOliver James says advertisers or big business make you feelyou want, like a fast car, an expensive television orsofter skin. He says you end up 'having' not'being', which won’t make you happy.
　　So what is the solution? Oliver says we should be followingcountries like Denmark – they have a good standard ofliving – but they aren’t so concerned with making money,working long hours and worrying about status – 'status',how important they or powerful they appear. And the mostimportant thing about these countries: they value childcare- looking after children. What does Oliver say is the onething that he thinks would do the most to reduce'affluenza' and make people happier? Listen to find out.
　　Oliver JamesIf there was one single thing I would choose of all themany it would be that we should pay the average annual wageto one or other parent to look after their children fulltime or to share it – it would mean that we start valuingthe things that really matter, which is looking after ourchildren.
　　Jackie:  Did you get the answer? He says if therewas one single thing which could change society for thebetter – it would be for parents to be paid an averagesalary to stay at home and look after the children.
　　Now, a reminder 8 of some of the language we've heard.
　　psychologistaffluent influenza possessions appearances childcareTo end, here's a chance to listen to all the clips 9 we heardfrom OliverJames again. (repeat clips)