Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page - written for young people by young people.

Today Aimee Mortimore speaks out about consumerism in modern life. 

Need is a word we throw carelessly into the air. We buy products impulsively and buy far too many in an attempt to satisfy our supposed ‘needs’. 

But it never works. In a short time, we abandon the products and they become dusty, ignored and obsolete. Before long, we have accumulated sums of 'things' which clutter one’s house. 

Owning such quantities generates a chaotic disorder, causing unease of the mind. Additionally, it feels mentally heavy to have so many possessions. So what can we do? Adopt a minimalist lifestyle.

To live modestly has excellent psychological benefits. Firstly, it simplifies everything and returns life to the basics. 

The Italian artist Leonardo Di Vinci said: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." 

It is the idea that simplicity facilitates clearer understandings of things and a serene state of mind. Simplicity also brings a sense of freedom into our lives as we focus on the letting go and extricate ourselves from unnecessary complications. 

Living simply is a philosophy by which to live. 

Minimalism, the art movement which first emerged in the nineteen fifties, embodies the concept of 'less is more.' The saying was first evidenced in the poem, Andrea del Sarto by Robert Browning. 

Today the motto represents the minimalist approach that having less is usually more effective and creates ultimately happier lives. 

If we can accept nature’s rhythms of life, there will be fewer worries. If we can learn to appreciate what we already have, the constant desires for more will dissipate until finally, we are left with the bare necessities of life. 

Aimee Mortimore