Here's my beef against consumerism...
Here's what I am reading:
4000 Weeks: amzn.to/3fVeVwy
The Richest Man in Babylon: amzn.to/3UIDKKP
My Frugal Equipment:
Acer Nitro 5 Computer: amzn.to/3R458Br
Rode Videomic GO II: amzn.to/3R7HAf1
Canon EOS M50 Mark II Camera: amzn.to/3TIGDvF
We live in a highly consumerist society where we are spending money every day on various items or services. When you look at how we spend our money and consume, you realize that it is not based on logic, reason, or value, but it is "unintentional." And all of these unintentional decisions are leading to unintentional consequences.
In this video, I talk about "10 Consequences of Unintentional Consumerism."
1. Unintentional Consumerism starts as a pleasure, then turns into an addiction
Any addiction starts as a pleasure. As time passes, you try to recreate the pleasure, but it turns into an addiction. Unintentional consumerism is an addiction that eats away your money at an extremely quick pace without much in return. The consequence of this addiction is a loss of money, sanity, and control over your life.
2. Unintentional Consumerism robs you from life’s most precious resource
We often use money to buy material possessions; however, when we constantly seek using our money to buy possessions, it robs us on life's most precious resource: time. There is nothing wrong with consumption, but when we constantly seek using money for material possessions we have less control over our time. The consequence of consuming unintentionally is that you end up having less control over your time.
3. Unintentional Consumerism distracts you from what’s truly important
What makes a rich human experience is not how much money someone has, how big their house is, or what type of car they drive, but it is about relations, community, and experiences. Unintentional consumerism tricks you into thinking that material possessions are what is important in life; however, the consequence of following this path is that it distracts you from what's truly important.
4. Unintentional Consumerism deprives you of deprivation
When it comes to consumerism and spending money, we often seek what is easy and convenient. When we follow this path, we miss out on all of the benefits that come with deprivation. The consequence of consuming unintentional and avoiding deprivation is a life without appreciating anything.
5. Unintentional Consumerism assumes humans are inherently greedy
Consumerism hints that humans are inherently greedy, that we are self selfish and materialistic. When you are consuming unintentionally, it usually promotes this message of greed. However, I believe humans are inherently cooperative. The consequence of spending money unintentionally can often feed the greed machine.
6. Unintentional Consumerism makes you live on autopilot
Once we become an adult and get all of the responsibilities that come with being an adult, we quickly give up and go through the motions in life. Unintentional consumerism, however, is often the reason that adulthood is difficult. When we spend our money unintentionally is leaves much quicker and we are focused to be constantly keeping up. The consequence is a life on autopilot.
7. Unintentional Consumerism makes waste the norm
We live in an incredibly wasteful society where we consume for the excitement of the purchase, but we do not appreciate the items we're consuming. It not only makes waste the norm, but it encourages waste. I am not sure what the consequences will be if we keep consuming, but I'd rather not know.
8. Unintentional Consumerism undermines the importance of community
When we are constantly seeking what is easy and convenient through apps or services, we miss out on the human component in these services. I believe that these small interactions throughout the day are necessary for our communities and mental health. The consequence of always seeking what is easy and convenient is that it takes away from the things that make up humanity.
9. Unintentional Consumerism promotes the wrong message
The goal of most companies is to make a profit and in order to make a profit, their customers or audience must want what they're creating. Whenever you buy an item or a service, you are placing a vote on what products or services are created. These votes will guide companies on what direction they should go. It is important to be intentional with how you spend money because unintentional consumption often promotes the wrong message.
10. Unintentional Consumerism makes us the weird ones
Living an intentional life with less is not the norm. Being frugal and practicing minimalism are not the norm. This makes it hard to practice because everyone around you thinks differently. You have to conform a bit or you're going to miss out. It's time we talk about these issues and make them more known.