There has always been a struggle between materialism and idealism, and not only in regards to philosophy but rather in the way we choose to live. Do we want to chase material things or prefer to pursue our ideal dreams and collect memories rather than things? It's a matter of a personal choice, of course, and there are proponents of both views. Some people argue that our society has become too consumeristic and that we should find the ways to fight it. Some people would claim that consumerism has its advantages like having a variety of choices and picking out only affordable goods, the motivation to make one's social standing better, etc.
Personally, I would say that there should be a golden middle between materialism and idealism. Indeed, the most valuable things in life, like friendship, love, kindness cannot be bought, but, on the other hand, we live in a material world and require material things to satisfy our necessities. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we can reach self-actualization only if all other essential needs are satisfied; at the bottom of the pyramid are physiological needs, i.e. they should be satisfied in the first place. Material things are just tools that help meet such needs. I don't consider myself a pure materialist or an idealist as I think they could go well together. The problem might arise when we lose the balance and start chasing something unattainable.
There are quite a lot of material things that have improved our lives, but I believe that the immersion of cars and computers, in particular, have had a positive impact and paved the way to experiencing life's best moments.
Cars have revolutionized our lifestyle and helped us travel more freely and independently. Of course, we can use a different kind of transport, like trains, buses, planes -- but only cars give us a lot of flexibility and independence. We can stop whenever we want and experience the beauty of the scenery, have a coffee in an unfamiliar café, take passengers, talk to them and move forward to a new experience, a new adventure. Having a car is not a luxury today, but rather a necessity. More and more people are spending times in their cars, - that's why choosing a car for oneself is like selecting a house, as cars have become our second homes. The market offers different types of vehicles, from luxury to economy class, from small to big ones, etc. Among famous car brands are Ford, Fiat, BMW, Toyota, Bentley and many others - one can choose something according to his/her taste. When it comes to picking out a car, the price is also not the last thing to consider. It's worth doing a substantial research before buying a car, looking at the price report, read reviews and all the technical information. It's just important to make sure that the car will meet all your personal needs.
Computers help us a lot in our work and everyday lives. We can use some specialized programs on the computer to make our work easier, especially when it comes to data storage, accounting, design, etc. Computers are of great help in every job area. Besides, using the computer and the Internet, one can learn a lot of new things and even get a degree online. The possibilities of using a computer are numerous, - it's just relevant not to spend too much time in front of it and always have an option for backing up essential information as computers can crash from time to time.
Material things are created to assist us in our everyday activities and in having the best experiences in life. Such experiences and memories of them are often the primary source of creativity, which significantly shapes the cultural development and can help us reach the stage of self-actualization.