What is "affluenza"

n. A feeling of dissatisfaction, anxiety, etc, caused by the dogged and ongoing pursuit of more.

Affluenza, a portmanteau of affluence and influenza, is a term used by critics of consumerism. It is thought to have been first used in 1954 but it gained legs as a concept with a 1997 PBS documentary of the same name and the subsequent book, Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (2001, revised in 2005, 2014). These works define affluenza as "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." The term "affluenza" has also been used to refer to an inability to understand the consequences of one's actions because of financial privilege, notably in the case of Ethan Couch.

Affluenza is a 2014 American drama film directed by Kevin Asch and written by Antonio Macia. It is loosely based on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was the first leading role for actor Ben Rosenfield, and also starred Gregg Sulkin, Nicola Peltz and Grant Gustin.

Affluenza is a term used by critics of consumerism.

Affluenza may also refer to:

• Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic, 2001 book by John de Graaf
• Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough, 2005 book written by Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss
• Affluenza (film), 2014 American drama film