Consumption does in fact help create inflation thereby reducing real wages and fooling prideful workers [1] into returning to the workforce. In the US we are currently at full employment so this is not actually beneficial.<p>In the long run investment - i.e. devoting resources to increasing future productivity - is what is needed. To clarify the distinction, investment is research in self driving cars while consumption is driving an existing car.<p>[1] Prideful workers (the villains in Keynesian economics) are the people who refuse to accept work at a lower nominal wage than what they previously earned. Instead, they sit on their asses enjoying funemployment.