Introduction
In this article we will talk about the importance that the new consumerism requires, and I say again because it is necessary to change our selfish customs to turn our already known individual consumer system into a responsible system where we all have what is necessary without spending excessively and taking care of our surroundings, that is to say, a healthier market free of false advertising, so that profit is generated for all individuals within our society.
Background
Consumption / consumerism is a term that refers to the personal supply of certain "basic needs" within the daily life of the individuals who constitute a society created precisely to consume, consume, and consume. Locked in this routine circle that we always try to run away from, fill in gaps with things we don't really need; within economic depressions that we ourselves maintain with care. According to some definitions, consumerism is a system of exchanging goods and services for money, but really our society is used to buying garbage, bad services, and even knowing this we continue to do so.
Consumption depends on three variables:
- The price of the good or service that you want to acquire, which does not refer to anything other than the fact that we can pay for it or not, that is, do we have the liquidity to pay for it in the short term? Or we have solvency, which is to pay for it in the long term, in other words, the use of credits. In addition to considering that the lower the price of a product is more consumable by society. Income, this point refers to our economic possibilities, that is, if we earn little, it would mean consuming little. The more economic income we have, the greater our “need” will be. Consumer expenses. Although it is that people consume the products that we consider good, which we already adopt as members of our bathrooms, floors, cupboards, and our own bodies,We rely so much on these products and the reliability value on their label that we use them in our bodies as a basic need and for daily use.
Types of consumption
Experimental Consumption: This case refers to consuming, buying a product or service out of curiosity, or because there is already indirect advertising, referring to the fact that someone already spoke well of such a thing. (Maybe some recently launched gadget or some new brand of food or drink)
Occasional Consumption: Refers to the individual who acquires something solely because it is a special occasion or perhaps because he has some economic extra that allows him to obtain his product or service from time to time. (Maybe new clothes)
Habitual Consumption: It means that our money is already determined periodically to buy the demanded product, that is to say, it is already part of our weekly list. (It could be gasoline, pantry,)
Types of consumers
- Consumer for simple or biological needs: these are the consumers who access basic goods, are for immediate consumption. Consumers for social needs: consumption that occurs when it is essential for the development of people. Compulsive consumer: It is related to a disorder of psychological type. They are individuals who lack control over their spending. Once the purchase is made they suffer a feeling of guilt, consequently many times they prefer to hide what they have agreed to. They are usually unnecessary purchases. Rational consumer: Prior to the transaction, the consumer makes a meditation or consideration considering the reasons, consequences and benefits that can be accessed through the product. Impulsive consumer:These consumers do not carry out previous meditations before making the purchase, but rather that this is promoted for the pleasure of accessing the product, without feeling later remorse. (Educational portal, 2014)
Environmental impact
The consumption of products generates garbage, since in order for them to be sold more easily, companies make use of advertising and branding, which leads to creating a wrap for each type of product that we find in the supermarket, the same wraps are thrown daily into the garbage, and if we start digging deeper, how many products do we buy daily? How much garbage does an individual generate per day?
Responsible consumption is a way of supplying the really basic needs in an intelligent way in which both companies and society win, that is, demanding quality and paying just enough for the quantity actually required.
Although we already have a slightly more open vision of consumption / consumerism, we realize that it is nothing more than a system in which we already live and it is not possible to get out of woe, if not try to become responsible consumers, both with the economy and with the environment, which would significantly reduce the impact generated by ourselves.
That is why an intelligent and responsible culture of social provision is required, which is not an easy task. Quitting using as we do gives us the opportunity to improve as a society.
Development
Currently almost all world economies live within an economic system called capitalism, the same system means that anyone can sell and we can buy from anyone, but perhaps that anyone is not very responsible with the products they sell us. It is said that there are many more product options, but this is not the case. And we know it, if we know it then because even so we keep buying products and services that we don't need.
Well, for the simple reason that we live in the daily routine of working, buying new things, throwing things that no longer serve us after a short time of using them, going back to work, buying new things and continuing to vote our money and feed the pollution and we do not care about the toxins that we put on our skin or the food that we give our families full of pesticides and sometimes even transgenic food.
One of the most profitable impacts for companies is advertising, since through it they try to reach our brains by injecting us with desire for their products, which in a certain way are never what they mainly offer, let's do a mental exercise, think of that hamburger with two pieces of spongy bread, with steam coming out of them, including a large Milanese of juicy and hot meat, accompanied by that fresh and wet lettuce at the end two thick slices of tomato. Can you imagine her? Well, we really all know that this is not the case, since that is just an advertising image that they sell us through spots, commercials, spectacular, and of course they still say socially responsible companies.
Because if, after lying to us, stealing and poisoning us with products of unknown origin, they have the gall to call themselves socially responsible and committed to a better world. But here the culprit is neither the businessman nor the chemist nor the advertising manipulated by deception, not here the only culprits are us as a blind society.
Although all this waste of purchases generates an environmental impact, speaking of garbage, it is said that the amount generated per capita daily is 2Kg if we are approximately 7,136,077,000 people around the world this would show us that 14,272,154,000 kilos of garbage are produced daily. Which is an alarming figure, but this does not mean that there are no people trying to remedy it, only that they are very few compared to those who continue to enrich themselves by destroying the world of their own children, and therefore ours.
That is why we need to be more good at correcting the mismanagement of consumption.
What is responsible consumption
Responsible consumption is a concept that defends that human beings must change their consumption habits adjusting them to their real needs and those of the planet, and choosing options that favor the environment and social equality.
We live in a society that favors consumerism. We have become accustomed to using and throwing away. Advertising bombards us with ads that aim to make us cogs in a system that reduces people to the role of submissive consumers.
Now we see that it is of utmost importance to change our way of being consumers, we were born as consumers, but nobody taught us to do it well, but sometimes the greed of some is the hole or trap of many others, since as we mentioned previously, not only It is the environmental impact if not the economic depressions that are generated by mismanagement, to give a clear example we will mention the case of ELEKTRA in Argentina, since that Mexican company profits from the need of people, giving them the opportunity to obtain products that do not They could buy or get as easy, giving them a loan so that the product can be paid little by little, but the problem is that in Argentina the same system is not managed as in Mexico, since salaries there are monthly, not weekly or biweekly as in Mexico,in addition to the fact that the Argentine government does not allow it to profit in this way from its inhabitants. And this is a clear example that in Mexico there are thousands of people with debts in this type of store that, instead of giving them an opportunity, are affecting the economy of families and therefore of the country.
Some of the points to take into account in responsible consumption are:
- Consider the environmental impact of the products we buy, evaluating the production, transport, distribution, consumption and waste processes left by the product. Determine the ecological footprint that certain lifestyles and consumerism produce. Determine companies, products and services that respect the environment and human rights. Ensure the quality of what is purchased.
conclusion
As a society we must learn to see beyond our individual interests since we are part of a group of individuals who are affected by ourselves in irresponsible ways. Let's learn to have enough without harming our economy and especially our planet.
Works cited
- H., JM (sf). Vocabulary of economics. Educational portal. (2014). http://www.tiposde.org/ciencias-sociales/544-tipos-de-consumidores/. Obtained from Types of consumers Vergara, PD (sf). http://www.vivosano.org/es/AmbienteSano/Consumoresponsable.aspx. Obtained from Healthy Living Foundation.
