IS CONSUMERISM EMERGING AS A DISRUPTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADDICTION?

“I need to buy that” – when Jennie told her husband Xavier, he wasn’t too happy.

“One more pair of shoes?  Already you have so many pairs. And most of them are new.. you haven’t worn them at all…” he said.

“But I like them.. and I need to have them.” She continued.

Jennie is not alone in the buying spree. Suraj has a peculiar habit of buying all the known mobile phones, just for the kick of it. He can control his expenditure on other things.. but mobile phones are so tempting to him, he cannot resist!

When my mobile phone rang and the gentleman from the other side who is from a bank said “ The Bank was offering me a loan of Rs. 50 lakhs” I smiled and replied “I don’t need it.” But he shocked me by asking “sir, when bank is offering a loan, why don’t you take it”. Credit based economy has ushered in new manifestations of ‘virtual growth’.

We are moving towards a society where the word “repair” of instruments, tools and equipment is slowly giving way to one-time use and “throw away culture.” I am not sitting in judgment on the economics of it, but just responding to the change in the psyche of the emerging generation.  

Consumerism has several manifestations and styles. Some of the reasons for addictive consumerism are:

-     To stay current with fashion

-     To display the status and authority

-     To be a part of competitive buying

-     To satisfy the hunger of a bloated ego

-     To show one-up behavior in a group

-     To dwell in virtual happiness

And there could be several other reasons.

Adding materials whether we need them or not, buying things which have either minimal or no use, purchasing things which could otherwise be managed with ease have become a part of the emerging social dynamics.

Markets play a very aggressive role in promoting consumerism through a variety of methods –

-     Through freebies,

-     Through product mix strategies

-     Through price mix strategies

-     Through value points

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 And unbelievably, through several other techniques.  

Market Gurus are working overtime to create ‘need’ for their products, rather than simply meeting the market needs. “Neuro-marketing” has opened newer possibilities of studying the consumer patterns and behavior to aggressively cause a desire and ways to ensure the purchase of a product whether it is useful, required or not.

Consumerism has impacted both natural as well as the emotional banks of the globe. It is not only exploiting the natural resources at an unimaginable speed thereby causing grave concerns, but it is also impacting the human thought patterns- quite often tilting or polarizing the emotional balance of the people. While newer products, newer services, newer technologies and newer life styles must give way for the old – it is equally important that unlimited consumption is indeed a global threat.

It needs to be fought.

At the same time, minimalism is not an antidote to consumerism. May be, minimalism might help to apply some brakes to excessive consumption, it should not negate growth, change and innovation.

Several people who become victims of consumerism do not necessarily gratify their insatiable urges for consumption of processes and products, but become passive victims of a provocative marketing, credit based supplies, competitive social equities – in a race to improve their standards of living thus engaging into a hot chase of wild hares in a dense forest!

Many social psychologists do believe that it has become a kind of ‘mindset’ and an ‘addictive behaviour’. Several people who could not cope with consumerist compulsions become victims of self-contempt, self-pity and develop a ‘defeatist’ attitude to life.

“Emotional consumerism” is yet another dimension of the emerging society where in gratification of emotions, sooner than later, is leading to several pre-maturation issues. 

Consumer education has addressed only to certain areas of consumer behavior about the quality of products, services and organizations including legal methods of redressal, but have not meaningfully addressed to educate the evils of excessive consumerism.

It appears to be too late to fight a war on consumerism, but it is at least important to draft some treaties with our sane mind for good consumerist behavior!