Consumer culture and you: What qualifies as consoomerism and what doesnt? -

[KingCoelacanth]

When you buy something from [brand] for the sole purpose of showing loyalty to [brand].
This includes sports fans and apple fans in addition to the typical nerd consoomer.

 

[John Titor]

I knew this topic felt familiar because it was what that Walmart episode was about.

 

[Samson Pumpkin Jr.]

saying something is consumer culture or not is a meaningless distinction. This idea is a very recent and modern development to describe a very specific type of soy-filled person. The consoomers are hobbyists, the same as bird watchers or hobbyist scientists. What has happened is that the corporations found a way to profit off of people's desire to have hobbies.

The best way to define consumer culture IMO is if 2 rules apply to the hobby: (1) The hobby primarily involves buying products from a corporation (2) The hobbyist gets hyped for or buys the product with joy, has some emotional response to the product and is emotionally/irrationally attached to it especially if the product has some story that you can be invested into (i.e. marvel).

 

[melty]

I think anything where people make buying products too much of their identity or a large source of emotional gratification are consoomers. So it's a really broad definition, but coin collectors and people who collect unique vintage items can very easily be consoomers.

But really, I would ask people: what are trying to get out of asking if something is too consoomer or not? Just try to evaluate your own behavior and your attachment to your purchases and collections. Are you feeling too overly invested? Are you in a cycle of buying a product and getting excited for next product? Even by my own definition I have consoomer tendencies, I just try to recognize them and minimize them. Buying product and getting excited for next product is a very real cycle and I think it's an unhealthy behavior. That's probably the biggest sign of a consoomer, if you buy a couple of figurines and then move on with your life then you are probably not a consoomer.

 

[Positron]

It may not be a definition but a big characteristic of a consoomer is that they grossly exaggerate the significance of the product they buy. No stamp collector is going to claim that stamps changed the world, or that a particular stamp ushered a new epoch of graphic design. Contrast that with Kevin Allred, who considers Beyoncé a mover shaker in politics, a master strategist, and a creative genius; and MovieBob, who think the nameless scriptwriters for MCU flicks are comparable to Sophocles and Shakespeare.

 

[Vapid_Idiot]

When you neglect your friends, family, and personal responsibilities to engage in any type of consumerism.
Like faggot twitch streamers who scream at their infant children because they are hypnotized by Call of Duty.
Or thots who dont pay their electric bills because they blew all of their money on fast food and Jeffree Star makeup.
Being a consumer is fine, there is nothing wrong with it. We all do it. But if you would rather buy Anime Blu-Rays you will never watch instead of saving that money in a savings account, you are being a irresponsible consumer. And yes, that last example is a jab at myself. I'm staring at my RWBY blu ray as its still in its cellophane wrapper because im a fucking autist.

 

[The best and greatest]

If you:
- Don't need it.

Needs don't exist because on a fundamental level all needs precipitate from egoistic want.

- Won't use it to make money.

What if you're a turdball like Phil or Moviebawb or Jim Sterling and you make your money by consooming and championing consoomption as a lifestyle?

- Got "hyped" for it.

What if what I'm hyped for can be used to make money?

- Want it on a whim.

What if it can be used to make money? These qualifiers are all super-contradictory.

- Have no practical use for it.

I feel like "Could be used to make money/Don't need it" Falls under this, making their inclusion in this list redundant.

The rest of your list is fine.

 

[Ita Mori]

Needs don't exist because on a fundamental level all needs precipitate from egoistic want.

What if you're a turdball like Phil or Moviebawb or Jim Sterling and you make your money by consooming and championing consoomption as a lifestyle?

What if what I'm hyped for can be used to make money?

What if it can be used to make money? These qualifiers are all super-contradictory.

I feel like "Could be used to make money/Don't need it" Falls under this, making their inclusion in this list redundant.

The rest of your list is fine.

It's meant to be a collective list of symptoms. Ticking 1-2 isn't making you a consoomer, ticking more than half should worry you.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

It's only a serious problem if you think that's all there is to life, if you never think deeper thoughts about philosophy, Religion, the meaning of life, the big question of "why are we here"?

What if you considered those things and decided "I don't want to know" cause honestly none of that shit has ever made me any happier.

 

[starborn427614]

Buying stuff just for the sake of buying it. Take Amiibo for example: I just like buying ones that appeal to me personally, I don't really need every single character in Smash and their tiny counterpart.

 

[The_Dank_Astero]

Buying stuff just for the sake of buying it. Take Amiibo for example: I just like buying ones that appeal to me personally, I don't really need every single character in Smash and their tiny counterpart.

IMHO It is okay to buy a few trinket anime figures/funkos but if it gets to the point where you have a collection, your consooming

 

[Spunt]

I define it as having undying brand loyalty or someone letting their excess purchases override their life. I knew someone who bought expensive guns and then whined about how broke they were. I also know they were not bought for self-defense.

When you buy something from [brand] for the sole purpose of showing loyalty to [brand].
This includes sports fans and apple fans in addition to the typical nerd consoomer.

I think that brand loyalty is the major signifier, along with a desire to show everyone else what you bought for social clout. I think that's the case whether it's a practical or a decorative item. You're using branding to say things about yourself, as a substitute for a personality. You and your shithead consoomer friends buy items to make statements about your values, based on that brand's marketing team's ideas of what values those products represent. It's a kind of laziness, letting the marketing teams of massive corporations define your values for you. That's what makes it so obnoxious, hoping that the perceived coolness or popularity of a brand will apply to you too if you show everyone you've bought one.

That's the other big thing that defines consoomerism - the urge to show other people what you have in the belief that owning those brands makes you a better person somehow. Especially if it's something expensive, that makes it a flex as well. Marxists have a phrase for this - "conspicuous consumption" - deliberately making wasteful purchases and showing them off just because you can. Ironically, as we all know, self-described Marxists are amongst the worst offenders for this.

While we tend to associate consoomerism with loyalty to major brands and big corporations, it can definitely apply to small companies as well. The hipster mindset that buying and showing off obscure or unusual things makes you more cool and interesting than having more common things is also its own little corner of consoomerism. I play guitar, and there's a whole cottage industry of "boutique" guitar pedals. Basically what these guys do is buy cheap electrical components from China, slap them together then put them in a "quirky" pedal, and charge a fortune for them. 90% of the time these pedals are no better, or even worse, than the cheaper, mainstream alternatives. But there's this little community of hipster assholes who like to show off their collections of shit "boutique" pedals because they're so exclusive and rare and they think they show what a free thinker they are (whereas it actually shows their lack of critical thinking skills). I'm sure there's similar shit in whatever your hobby is. People want the thing that other people don't have so they can show it off and flex on them, even if that thing isn't particularly good.

In summary:

>Buy a new laptop based on max specs for minimum outlay because you need to work away from the office? Not consoomer.
>Buy the latest MacBook Pro even though the one you already have is adequate for what you need so that everyone can see you have one at Starbucks? Consoomer.

>Buy some nice-looking, comfortable shoes for a specific purpose? Not consoomer.
>Buy the new Manolo Blahniks because OMG you HAVE to have them and then never wear them? Consoomer.

>Get a cat from a shelter because you want a furry, musical hot water bottle that never goes cold? Not consoomer.
>Get a fucking Caracal because Big Floppa memes are cool right now and everyone will be REALLY impressed that you have one? Consoomer.

>Go to see a film because it looks entertaining and the reviews say it's a good time? Not consoomer.
>Go to see the Ghostbusters reboot because you can post on Twitter that you saw it and seeing it means you Respect The Wahmens and it will own the Chuds, even though actually watching it is like attacking your genitals with a cheesegrater? Consoomer.

 

[garakfan69]

ITT: Here is why buying useless shit for children pushed by large corporations doesn't make me a consoomer.

 

[Unassuming Local Guy]

I think most points here can be distilled further into a simple litmus test.

Are you buying this item because buying it makes you happy, or because owning it will make you happy?

There's a subtle but incredibly important distinction between the two. The former is consumerism. The latter can be, but isn't necessarily.

Whether an item is "useful" or "necessary" is a subjective measure and ultimately meaningless. But if someone is buying things just to buy things, that's textbook consumerism and is always unhealthy. Similarly, if you're buying something to be happy right now with no regard for the future, it's consumerism. If you're thinking about your future, it most likely is not.

One caveat to note about consumerism is that it's fine in small doses. You could live life eating nothing but nutrient paste. Eating anything else is consumerism by any definition I've ever heard. Do you need foods that taste good? Really need them to sustain your body? No. But it's also okay, because humans require a certain amount of immediate happiness to not eventually go insane. Look to the future while taking care of the present.

 

[BScCollateral]

One caveat to note about consumerism is that it's fine in small doses.

Yeah, like most mental issues, it comes down to abuse.

I know a guy who talks too much about silent movies If he liked the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy as much as he likes Lon Cheney Sr., I believe I would kill him. It's not the same at all, but sometimes I wonder if there's any objective way to explain why there is a difference.

I doubt it, but it is fun to wonder about.

 

[Doinker Marmalade]

Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?

Silver is silver, you{re buying it at a MASSIVE premium but given the hyper-inflation fears for the future, it might constitute a worthy investment.

 

[_giantmeteor2024_]

Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?

Should be a tax-deductible charitable donation to a worthy cause.

 

[Weed Eater]

Silver is silver, you{re buying it at a MASSIVE premium but given the hyper-inflation fears for the future, it might constitute a worthy investment.

It's a question I bring up only due to the influx of new users (including myself, rightfully) that may not have had a longer history on the site here. I could see a small few buying Kiwi Coins for the sake of exclusivity, regardless if it's silver. Either way I think it's a valid question to think about.

 

[Niggernerd]

Gunpla isn't consoomerism its PASSION

 

[polyqueerandrosensual]

I know a guy who talks too much about silent movies

The pure irony.

Though I do notice that some consooming is more accepted than others among based individuals- especially collections of things owned by old conservative men, even if they have no use or value and just take up space.