Or is consumerism consuming you?
I’m absolutely certain that once you have a working internet connection, your inbox is flooded with glittering 90% off emails or free shipping on orders over $250. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us. And with that they bring the greatest existential question known to the technological age: do I order now or wait for a bigger discount? Today’s marketing has us constantly in a state of want masqueraded as need, enticing us with savings and brand-new products. But bear in mind that you don’t save $30 on a clearance sale, you simply spend the new price. Producers need the consumer, not the other way around, so we are stuck in a constant loop of advertising and buying leaving us with tons of unnecessary stuff. This can be referred to as consumerism, a biproduct of the capitalist society that we love to hate and hate to love.
Now to the nitty gritty of consumerism – Keynesian Macroeconomics. This theory simply states that the most effective way to boost an economy and promote growth, is by encouraging consumer spending. 2020 has resulted in a completely unprecedented economic downturn that has even been called the Coronavirus Recession. According to the IMF Global Growth and World Output are projected to be -4.9 for this year, a vast difference from 2.9 in 2019. As countries go back into lockdown periods, their economic growth is likely to continue declining as business are closed, activities are not patronized, and the healthcare system is continually strained. Additionally, countries are now further strained by the need to accumulate funding for potential vaccines. So how are economies dealing with this unpredictable decline? By encouraging the layman to continue spending. Big businesses need you to continue spending on fast fashion and short-lived consumables as often as possible to “stimulate the economy”. They continue to build the narrative that they need you to save the economy from a recession. But really this is just draining your pockets into theirs.
So what can you do instead? There are so many alternatives to supporting big corporations and endless benefits to doing so. Small businesses run by artisans are the perfect way to shop responsibly. Your purchase is directly improving the life of the creator of the product rather than placing the majority in a billionaires bank account and minimum wage for everyone else involved. You can also choose to support more eco-friendly production and be certain that its not just green-washing. And better yet you can stay true to your own style by getting customized or unique items as opposed to mass produced products.
Your other option is to invest in things that you need and will last you a long period of time. Some things aren’t that easy to come by from small businesses like technology, appliances and certain items of clothing. In these cases it is recommended to make smart purchases. Being conscious of where your money goes can be a bit pricey but in most cases you are paying for the highest quality of materials, engineering and ethical production. These products are also likely to be built to last years, decreasing waste attributed to fast fashion and consumerism with technology. In this case waiting for Black Friday sales or other big sales can make your investments much more affordable. Sales aren’t the enemy here, the consumerist culture that the producers cultivate is.
At the end of the day, you probably don’t need the newest phone as soon as its released, or that trendy pair of shoes that would be outdated within the year. The feeling that you need these things is simply subliminal marketing and internalized consumerism. Producers will continue to have sales on their factory produced, sweat shop sewn and mass manufactured items because we the consumer continue to patronize. Taking business away from unethical companies and placing our money in the hands of artisans will still promote economic growth. So buy what you like, just make sure it’s also from someone you like.
Comments