I bristle at the word “consumer”. I work in marketing and I admit, I use this term every day to describe customers and potential customers, or people who are browsing the Internet and thereby “consuming media” (doncha love that? – being online = eating information). It still annoys me. And, I increasingly hear it used to describe people in general, in a variety of behaviors and situations, as if this is the primary way we engage with each other and with the world. We are no longer people, but consumers. It is not just in advertising, marketing or commerce in which I hear this – I’ve heard it in political speeches, in news stories, in casual conversation. Is this truly the most important activity to ascribe to ourselves? I did some quick research into the definition of “consumer” and since this describes “one who consumes…”, I was led to the definition of “consume”:
1. to destroy or expend by use; use up.
2. to eat or drink up; devour.
3. to destroy, as by decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.
4. to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.
5. to absorb; engross
(Thank you, Dictionary.com)
So, by definition a “consumer” is a person who: destroys or expends something by use; uses something up; eats or drinks; destroys something; spends wastefully; or is absorbed or engrossed by something. Not many positive connotations in this definition, aside from eating and drinking or being engrossed. Maybe being called a “consumer” isn’t such a good thing.
A couple of years ago, I read the book Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic, and it made a lasting impression on me. Clearly the authors were pointing out the implications of being a consumer as not just negative, but unhealthy. After reflecting on my own experience, I have grown aware that over-consumption and the need for ever more and better and cooler stuff is a consuming activity for people in my family, my workplace, my social circle and myself. Too often I find myself thinking that if I only had “______” my life would instantly be better and I would be more fulfilled. Fill in the blank with my want-of-the-moment – new furniture, designer jeans, the latest Smartphone, a Frappuccino – and it quickly becomes apparent that I want “______” every day. I want something and then convince myself I need it through some rationalization, and then I get it and I feel momentarily happier. Maybe “happier” is not quite the right word. I feel satisfied by a successful conquest. And to be honest, there are many things from which I continue to derive satisfaction after I acquire or consume them. I do love how I look in my designer jeans. I admire the beautiful watercolor that hangs on my wall. I’m not giving up my affection for trying new wines any time soon. BUT… the catch is that consumption is addictive. After you fulfill one desire, another one soon comes into your head. “I want a sexy pair of boots to go with my hot jeans.” “I deserve a beer after my hard day. OK, maybe two beers.” The addiction compels you to keep searching for the next thing to make you that tiny bit happier, or raise your social status higher, or make your life more convenient. I am an American, so I feel comfortable making the blatant generalization that Americans consume too much stuff. We over-gift at holidays, and how many of the gifts are actually wanted by the receiver? Surveys of American travelers report that our #1 favorite vacation activity is shopping. Modern homes are on average 2 times larger than the homes built forty years ago, even though we have smaller families, but we need the space for all our belongings and the perceived higher status that larger homes confer. We rent storage units to keep the stuff that won’t fit in our homes, or we donate our unwanted belongings to charities and enjoy a nice tax write-off to boot. Our landfills are overflowing with stuff that broke or is old or has gone out of fashion. There are TV shows about hoarding and/or de-cluttering. This is all a result of consumption. We are consuming more and more things, and being encouraged to do so. We are called consumers, after all! Why?
We confuse the short-term gratification of buying things or having a good time with the deeper feelings of worth and joy that come from valuing ourselves, our family and friends, and our own contributions to the world. The producers and the folks who help them sell their products take advantage of this human tendency. Or maybe they helped create it. In either case, they certainly encourage it. Affluenza highlights the shocking and distressing pattern of over-consumption and its harmful consequences and asks people to become aware of their own consumer addictions. What are the consequences? There's the mounting consumer debt and the financial crises that have rolled off that in waves. There's pollution, waste, depletion and destruction of resources. There's the 5 gyres of floating garbage in the world's oceans, the largest that is sized somewhere between the area of Texas and the United States. There's increasing inequity between the consumers and the poor people creating the crap we consume. So, it's a problem with serious consequences.
Now when I find myself wanting something, I ask myself what is it that I really want: do I want the brief gratification of an object, or am I longing to fulfill a deeper need such as having a meaningful purpose or feeling loved? The first is easier, more immediate but shallow – ultimately, things do not give you happiness. The second is a complex emotional need that cannot be met through shopping but rather through productive action or interaction. The challenge in living in a society that is obsessed with stuff – finding it, getting it, using it, maintaining it, showing it off, getting rid of it – is making the switch from chasing satisfaction in things to finding satisfaction in creating value and meaning in life.
And so this brings me back to that irritating word, “consumer”, and all the unhealthy things it implies. What are words that put us in a more positive light and hopefully inspire more positive activity? There is the word “citizens”, which I do like for the implication that people are a member of a country or a community. It has an aura of respect. It limits people, however, to activities that are communal or governmental and doesn’t cover other activities. Ditto for “voters”. Synonyms of “consumer” include “customer”, “patron”, “client”, and these all refer to commercial activities. A more expansive descriptor is needed.
I propose a new word to describe people: “choosers”. It acknowledges that in every situation, there is a choice. It is an empowering term. People consider their options and select their preference. It does not have the negative connotations of “consumer”, nor is it limited to people’s purchasing power. We have choices other than just what we buy or what we waste. In fact, we have the choice not to purchase, not to waste, not to destroy. Not to consume, or be consumed. We can choose another way besides what is being fed to us in politics and policies, in media and in commerce. We can vote (very timely right now!). We can choose to spend our time in ways that are about real growth, not just the growth of consumer contribution to the GDP.
I could be onto the next big wave in marketing: it’s not about consuming, it’s about choosing a better, healthier path.
