Hello fellow I Love Philosophy members,
I’m wondering what you guys have to say on the following issue:
How are we pressured to consume in today’s society? And do you consider current trends in purchasing too much or items which others may consider unnecessary to be unethical? Do you believe that advertisements, marketing, peer pressure, and even your own self has gone too far in consumption?
I look forward to hearing what you people have to say,
Corey-FS
By hunger, thirst, and erotic feelings.
Hello Fixed Cross,
I didn’t really consider this question on that low of a level. From your take on this, I presume you consider the goods and services which we purchase to completely come down to our own ability to control such desires?
Do you eat too much?
Do you thirst too much?
Do you have a subscription to an adult site? Hey, you called it.
Are you going way too far? Better cancel that last one, right. We all know about it now.
Social engagements, for instance, often revolve around some type of consumption - a movie, a sporting event, eating out - and there’s the pressure to partake or you miss the social outing entirely. It just takes a bit of imagination or creative thinking to change the social paradigm to one that doesn’t rely on some form of consumerism to bring people together.
Advertising definitely has a strong influence on how and what we consume, but I wouldn’t call it a pressure. I’d say most of the pressure to consume comes from the social norms of one’s local and global cultures. Norms related to status, social engagement, etc.