I basically agree with your remarks on consumption. I would like to point out a few other issues that were brought up, that are still problems since this film was released in 2011/2012. The cost of education and medicine are still a huge threat to anyone's financial health. You can find statistics saying that medical debt is responsible for 40% to 60% of bankruptcies. This includes individuals/families with health insurance. Education is a bag of worms in and of itself. I personally think that the push to "send your child to college" is often misplaced. Parents and the student often ignore the affordable community colleges to get the first 2 years of mandatory classes out of the way. This also lets the student explore the field they want to work in. Sometimes they discover that it really isn't what they want. They can pivot on to something else and they haven't wasted much beyond a few elective classes. It also ignores the trades, where training can be obtained through community colleges or through apprenticeships where an apprentice is actually paid while they learn. My brother is a partner is a largish plumbing company in Montana. The are unable to find journeyman level plumbers to fill positions.

The final point is retirement. When people retire in their late 60's, they become consumers and open up positions for advancement for the younger generation. That used to be the way the economy worked. Now with the older generation holding on, there aren't the positions open there used to be. Some of the folks that retired, have to return to work for financial reasons. They often take the jobs younger people used to have as side jobs or part-time jobs. That puts more of a stress on the working class and middle class to make ends meet.