The Digital Age of Consumerism
Kristen Chik
We are all born with an innate desire for acquisition. With the convenience of the internet and the emergence of social media, shopping has become more accessible than ever. What makes us buy today? Advertising serves not only to advertise products but also to promote consumption as a way of life. Social media, particularly with the force of influencers, may result in consumers wanting items they did not know they needed. In a way, it educates the masses into an unappeasable appetite not only for goods but for never-ending new experiences and personal fulfillment. “People today hunger for the feeling, the momentary illusion, of personal well-being,” states Christopher Lasch in his book the Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations. The goal of such marketing tactics is for the consumer to be perpetually unsatisfied and constantly wanting more. Through my project, I want to pose the question on how such convenience has affected our habits, behavior and culture.