If you never thought materialism was a big deal, then you'll definitely want to check out this article outlining the sad, moral plunge of the "mall girls" in Warsaw.

A few of the high points (or low points in this case) include:

• "The revelation that Catholic girls, some from middle-class families, are prostituting themselves for a Chanel scarf or an expensive sushi dinner is causing many here to question whether materialism is polluting the nation's soul."
• Katarzyna Roslaniec (a young filmmaker who made a film about the real-life "mall girls" she met at a Polish shopping mall) calls the young women "the daughters of capitalism," providing the following explanation of her phrasing: "Parents have lost themselves in the race after a new washing machine or car and are rarely home. A 14-year-old girl needs a system of values that can't be shaped without the guidance of parents. The result is that these girls live in a world where there are no feelings, just cold calculation."
• At Zlote Tarasy, a sprawling mall in central Warsaw, Nina Chmielewska, 15, an aspiring actress, said she knew some mall girls at school. She said they disgusted her, but acknowledged the pressures. "If you want to be cool and accepted at school, you need to have a good cellphone, designer shoes and a boyfriend. You are judged by how you look," she said. "For sure, I don't want to end up with a sweaty, ugly guy."

So what do you think about materialism now? This is a convicting remember of the damaging ripple effect that often comes with the love of money.