Thoughts on future of consumerism

CAPITALISM IS IN CONSTANT SEARCH OF ECONOMIC GROWTH.
GROWTH IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN (NOT IMPROVE) OUR CURRENT QUALITY OF LIFE.
WE NEED TO RUN TO STAY WHERE WE STAND.

IN OUR CONSUMERIST SOCIETY, ECONOMIC GROWTH IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY DESIRE (NOT NEED).
ADVERTISING IS REQUIRED TO CREATE DESIRE.
IT DOES SO BY CONSTRUCTING “CONSUMERS” OR EXAMPLES FOR US TO FOLLOW.

CREATING DESIRE BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE THE MORE SATURATED THE MARKET FOR WHICH DESIRE IS BEING FABRICATED.
HENCE, SOCIAL NETWORKS WERE THOUGHT TO BE THE WAY TO OUTSOURCE DESIRE FABRICATION TO CONSUMERS THEMSELVES.
TO SOME DEGREE THEY WILL DO SO.

BUT IN THIS AGE OF INDIVIDUALITY IT WILL BE THE EGO-CENTRIC WISH THAT WILL BE THE MORE POWERFUL DRIVER OF DEMAND.
“IF I CAN DREAM IT, I CAN HAVE IT”.
WISH-BASED CONSUMABLES ARE EGO-CENTRIC: THEY ARE ABOUT MY IMPULSES BASED ON THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE.

ENTER THE FREE-ECONOMY AND THE STRATEGY OF GIVING.
STRATEGY OF GIVING = REMOVE THE COST OF CONSUMPTION FOR THE CONSUMER.
REMOVING COST MAKES CONSUMPTION MORE FLUID: MORE IMPULSIVE.
WISH-BASED CONSUMPTION BECOMES A REALITY.

WISH-BASED BUSINESS MODELS MONETIZE PERSONALIZED ATTENTION AND FULFILLMENT OF IMPULSE.
WISH-BASED BUSINESS MODELS REPLACE ADVERTISING: THEY REPLACE DESIRE WITH “WISH” AS THE DRIVER FOR CONSUMERISM.

HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY FIT THIS VISION?
VERY WELL, INFACT.
THE ICONS OF TECHNOLOGY TODAY ARE ALIGNED WITH THE WISH BASED ECONOMY:

• GOOGLE = DATABASE OF INTENTIONS,
• APPLE = BEAUTIFUL TECHNOLOGY FOR PROJECT “ME” OR THE PURSUIT OF WISHES,
• NOKIA = TRIGGER FOR FULLFILLING WISHES

PERSONAL FABRICATION IS TAKING US IN THIS DIRECTION.
PERSONALLY CREATED PRODUCTS ARE TANGIBILE MANIFESTATIONS OF CREATIVITY.
WE WILL SEE BIO-MORPHIC LOOKING, “GASEUOUS” BEHAVING, EPHEMERAL FEELING PRODUCTS.
THEY WILL BE CHILDISH AND INSINCERE. AND THERE WILL BE LOTS OF THEM.

HOW DOES SOCIAL-ENTREPRENEURSHIP FIT THIS VISION?
IT IS THE SOCIALLY INFORMED APPROACH TO WISH-MOTIVATED CONSUMERISM.
THE PERSONAL PLEASURE PRINCIPLE IS REPLACED WITH “DON’T DO EVIL” OR A UNIVERSAL PLEASURE PRINCIPLE.

PROGRESS IS NEVER LINEAR NOR SEQUENTIAL.
WE WILL ACTUALLY SEE AN ACCUMULATION OF ALL THREE DRIVERS OF CONSUMERISM CO-EXISTING:

• NEED, WHERE THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE IS BALANCED WITH THE REALITY PRINCIPLE
• DESIRE, WHERE INNER-SELF DEMANDS TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS
• WISH, WHERE THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE IS NO LONGER BALANCED BY THE REALITY PRINCIPLE AND THE INNER-SELF SEEKS PLEASURE

POSSIBLY A SINGLE PRODUCT CAN GO THROUGH ALL THREE TYPES OF DEMAND WITHIN ITS LIFESPAN. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT NEXT…