Social Consumerism: Great for Business, Bad for Americans

 Social media has rocked America’s figurative boat; a boat that carries cargo like marketing, consumption, businesses, entertainment, etc. All of these aspects have been greatly affected by social media’s fairly recent influence on our society. With America’s capitalistic economy it is no shock that businesses have taken advantage of social media as a way of getting the word out about their products and services in the hopes of increasing sales. Social consumption for me is something that I view more so as subliminal advertising, even though I know it is there. 

When Nike posts a picture to Pinterest of their latest workout wear or a friend posts an Instagram photo with a Starbuck’s drink in it, you are subconsciously being urged to think about the product and more often than not, you will purchase it. But social consumption is not only the power of marketing; it also comes in the form of following. Businesses like Whole Foods, Starbucks, RedBull, Amazon, and thousands of others have jumped on the social media bandwagon by creating Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and other social platform accounts. Their following count is astronomical and they post specials, deals, new products, and other business related news. By doing this they are creating a social environment that makes consumers feel like a part of that business’s community, and thusly creates a spike in sales and a broader awareness in the company.

In my personal opinion the focus on consumerism and always wanting the next and best thing has gotten completely out of hand. For businesses, social consumption is wonderful and a great way to increase revenue. But we have lost focus on what is truly important in life and now people define success by how many things they have. If you reach the American dream of having a wife and husband, children, multiple cars and a nice home, you are the poster-child of success. But success should be about your experiences, your joy should come from helping people and making the world a better place by inspiring people to be the best person they can be, not by encouraging people to have the more stuff. 

Don’t get me wrong, Starbucks is a major part of my life and helps me get through the day, and I enjoy a nice pair of Nike tennis shoes, but we need to downsize. Who really needs multiple pairs of tennis shoes? Or 10 televisions? I encourage Americans to switch their focus and to change their idea of success.

Nonetheless, social consumerism is a genius tool for businesses and is not always done solely to make money. Thank you for listening to me rant about my disappointment in American capitalism, and I apologize if this offends anyone, but I stand by my opinion! Let's work together to redefine the true meaning of happiness! 

As always, be kind and radiate your love!

Powerful statement.
The things that we buy are a reflection of the life we have lived.
Would you rather have all the best clothes and cars to represent your life, or do you want to be remembered by your heart and soul?
(Photo Cred to Pinterest)