Materialistic lifestyles are encouraged in a culture which thrives on consumerism.
In a capitalistic society ideas get marketed as products and physical items. We go beyond the need to just buy the necessities plus perhaps the occasional luxuries and buy into all these products. It’s for the lifestyle it brings and the social status. Its these beliefs and views we gain that we want
We can look in ourselves and ideas within rather than buy stuff to fulfil a non-physical need or void in us. We can look to societal/intellectual constructs to help us in life which you could say as certain bits forms/aspects of “culture”. Although people say that culture is brainwashing. Yes many aspects are so to be avoided e.g. tv shows promoting ideologies of how to act in a subtle way without you even noticing. However some forms of music and art that a generated from cultural ideas are very interesting to look at. We can say experiences we gain are important because we learn from them that includes visiting new places (or old places again too of course).
Saying all this sometimes items do have a purpose in life, such as creative purposes or as non necessary tools its just when people try and use it to directly fill a void in their life or overly consume. More stuff doesn’t directly lead to happiness although yes some stuff is very useful and good or can lead to cool opportunities and fun things. Or intellectual stimulation.
Horizon howl 