A ding sounds and your home screen powers on. Your Amazon package was delivered. It may be the fourth one this month, but it is okay because everything you bought was something you could justify purchasing at the moment.
As we speak, I have an order en route. What did I order? Who cares? It’s on its way.
But have you stopped to think about what happens if you continue down this constant consumption path? Beyond the fact that you would run out of space for storing all your new stuff, how else might you be impacted?
We live in a capitalist society which means we are pushed to consume so much it is laced into the media we consume. In Sept. 2023, TikTok launched a shop component. This function allows a user to make purchases directly through the app. With this new addition comes the job of the influencer. Influencers of any following are able to share reviews of products and are eligible to gain commission from purchases made through that creator’s video. This should put into question how genuine the review is if an influencer is paid to share it.
And that’s just one way we are pushed to consume.
On Instagram, demographic information is used to push particular products onto a user. This can include the content a consumer likes, as well as content promoted by an Instagram user they follow. The scroll is endless and with that comes the question of when is too much enough.
According to a Guardian article, a psychologist who focuses on materialism and well-being, Tim Kasser “identified a connection between an excessively materialistic outlook and increased levels of anxiety and depression…” The increase in anxiety and depression is linked to the idea of self-worth.
The list runs on and includes celebrities and socialites we have compared ourselves to. At times, this can be subconscious. It could be buying items those public figures are using with the hope that you get a similar result as they say they did. That subconscious comparison is what algorithms use to suggest products through advertisements.
Angeli Gianchandani is a practitioner in residence in the Pompea School of Business at the university.
“Brands are increasingly adopting sustainability values and behaviors and taking the lead on sustainability issues,” said Gianchandani. “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework, and many consumer-facing companies are aligning to those goals where they can make the most difference. In order to achieve the SDGs, brands are more conscious with strategic corporate social responsibility plans to communicate value and educate consumers.”
These goals were adopted by the United Nations to bring longevity to our planet.
“Overconsumption is a concern for all brands,” she said. “Overconsumption has been identified as contributing to environmental issues. It exhausts the planet’s life support systems like the ones that provide us with fresh water and leaves us short of materials critical to our health and quality of life.”
So how do brands achieve these goals? The outward actions of companies usually align more with expanding their audience and generating more revenue, but Gianchandani said, “Brands are taking the lead to communicate and educate consumers to change behaviors. For when brands share the importance of recycling, they are able to influence change in consumer habits. By recycling materials, we create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.”
As consumers, we can practice intentional consumption. This means trying to minimize consumption where we can or researching the brands we choose to support. If you are able, try thrift clothing or buy items secondhand. When it comes to those social media ads ask yourself, will I be any better off if I make this purchase?