Consumerism is the Opposite of Freedom
The iconic scene in Fight Club where Tyler Durden proclaims “Advertising has you working jobs you hate to buy shit you don’t need to impress people you don’t like” has always struck a chord with me. These days I feel like products are constantly being pushed on me. Whether through the podcasts I listen to or every time I pop onto social media, I am inundated with ads for clothing, skincare, purses, etc..
In fact, I just did a little test and within 60 seconds of scrolling on my feed (not looking at stories), I scrolled past 13 ads…again, in 60 seconds. So if you take the average amount of time spent on Instagram (33 minutes) and multiple that by 13 you get… 429.
Okay, well what if you are slowly scrolling through your feed and maybe see half of that, well that means you are still viewing around 200 ads a day and again, this doesn’t even account for looking at stories. Also, that is just Instagram! I’m not including other social media sites or popular websites. Even in the one podcast I have listened to today so far I fast forwarded through at least 9 ads.
We have all been made aware of how our attention is being eroded, but it’s fascinating to note how our wallets are being invaded as well. Instagram ads are so sneaky in their persistence. I myself was worn down by an ad for a yearlong paper calendar that you hang on the wall I think I was hoping that it would help me be more…productive?
This is the insidious nature of a culture built so heavily on consumerism and consumption, we are constantly being sold the fantasy that the new thing will help us achieve whatever it is we feel we are lacking. Women especially are constantly pushed new clothes and skin care because it will finally make us attractive enough or interesting enough to be perceived. And while I myself am a proponent of self-care, I can’t help but cry out at the obsession our culture has with looking young or dressing in the latest fashion.
Where is the boundary between just enough and too much? Is Amy telling me I shouldn’t buy things or take care of my skin?
Rather than take a specific/prescriptive view on this, I would actually prefer that we reflect on the concept of personal freedom. If we look at Kant’s perspective on personal freedom, we see it defined as the ability to act according to one’s own rational will, independent of external influences or desires. Kant believed that freedom was the opposite of necessity, that our capacity to act freely is actually what gives human life dignity (Justice, Michael Sandel 2009).
Rather than fixating on the fantasy of what a new thing might bring you, I wonder if instead you could consider what is going to make you feel the most free.
My home is decorated to my personal taste and desires, I have a marble coffee table, comfortable chairs, and a couch that are all aesthetically pleasing. However, almost all of these items were purchased second-hand or at a significant discount. If I had pursued my original desires to an end I would certainly be in debt; which to me would constitute the opposite of freedom.
If we purchase items on a whim, if we don’t question the advertisements pushed to us daily, if we constantly search for the next cream that will “fix” our skin, we are clawing at the cage that has been placed around us.
Awareness, choice, attention, and dignity make up the door that will allow you to access freedom from the confines of consumerism and consumption.
Thoughts on this? Let me know!