Consumerism = the belief that the buying and selling of products is beneficial to an economy; a sign of economic strength. That's one definition of consumerism. How does consumerism relate to you? What are some of the products you have bought recently - clothing, tech. devices, cosmetics, etc.? Are there any products you strongly recommend others to buy or not buy? You can also post your ideas about consumerism in general; for example: favorite places to shop in Bangkok, online shopping, getting caught up in materialism, advertising techniques, and ideas for 'ethical consumerism.' Remember to use your first name, that we know, so we can refer to each other's ideas.
Here are some videos related to consumerism that you can also refer to. (You may need to let buffering finish, and then the video will play smoothly):
1. Music Video - 'Money' by Pink Floyd
2. 'Consumerism! The Musical'
3. Video Podcast on Consumerism
4. Two students and their commentaries about materialism at ISB
26. A Barista's Coffee Shop Dream - by high school students, entered in a film contest
27. The Gospel According to Larry - a visual and musical reflection of the main character's message (created by a h.s. student in the U.S.)
28. Iqbal Masih - Child labor activist and inspiration to young people; a mini-documentary on his life, and a scene from a movie about Iqbal
29. A student's commentary about the story and life of Iqbal
30. Sponge Bob in China - Labor Issues Connected to Consumerism
31. Two students comment on the Sponge Bob in China video
32. Two more students try to figure out the message in Sponge Bob in China video.
33. George Carlin, Comedian - A Rant about American Consumerism
34. Two students give their opinions on George Carlin's rant
35. 'Poddicts' - a story of 'addiction' to iPods; another entry in a film contest
36. The Mountain Kingdom of Bhutan Reacts to the Material World - 'Gross National Happiness' - 2007
37. A Scene from the Musical - 'Cabaret' ('Money')
48 comments:
Here's a sample comment about consumerism from last year:
Pammy said...
To me, consumerism is a big deal. When I think back to the countless times I've heard things such as 'Over-consumption is bad' or 'Materialism is destroying our planet' I always wonder how that thought would immediately slip off my mind whenever I see another new chic t-shirt. I know that I have been educated many times about how deforestation is caused partly by big clothing companies buying the land and cutting down trees to make cotton farms but it just never seems to change my consumer habits. I think the only way this will appeal to me the most is for me to actually experience it. Honestly, I think the only time when EVERYBODY would come to realize that Global Warming can be hazardous is when things really go bad. So, as much as I am trying to stop myself, I really can't. And it's not because the shirt is just too cute, it's not because its on 50% sale, it's because the dangers of over-consuming is not relevant to me---yet.
(Here's another sample comment from last year:)
Paddy said...
At my recent stay in Beijing, I learned how hard it is to shop there. The people might start at 200-400 yuan as the original price. The sellers then come up with strange reasons on why the object was good. For example, my friend Greg was buying socks and the lady charged him 400 yuan! Greg said, "No, 40," and she said, "But, the socks are good quality." Greg said, "I can see these socks are not worth that much. I can get the same ones for 20 yuan in Thailand." Then she said, "They are from a special factory." Greg said, "Thanks, but I don't care what factory they're from." Then Greg walked away until the lady called him back and agreed to his price. I sure learned how hard it is to bargain in China, at least in Beijing.
Last summer when my cousins came to Bangkok from Australia they looked at me in awe as I bargained with someone selling t-shirts in a market. Later they told me that they don't do anything like that not even in their markets. I asked my grandmother for verification and she said it was true and only very few people in the Victoria Market allow bargaining. In different countries with different economics there are different way to shops.
Consumerism is a big deal for me like Pammy. My idea on buying things is positive because I feel I show part of my personality and express myself though what I buy. I have recently bought some apparel. I usually buy things for myself that i know will last me a long period of time. I look for products that have good quality and a suitable price. What I mean is that I look for a product whose price is within the normal range. When I go to buy products I keep in mind my budget and try not to go past the limit. I feel i need to be very frugal when consuming. Should I buy this or should I buy that usually strikes me at times and then i will finally come to a conclusion. I feel buying in a smart way is part of me.
Bangkok has a wide variety of places to shop. I like to shop in many of the malls her in Bangkok. I usually shop in MBK for the little things like video games or shirts. Central and Paragon are the places i go to when I want to buy books or even more clothes. At times I will go to other stores to buy cheap things that I will only need for one time and that time only. I personally think that Bangkok is a really great place to shop.
Of course everybody gets caught up in buying products. It is not a bad thing but sometimes people can get caught up in materialism. Materialism separates you from your intellegence, socialability, and who you really are. A materialistic person has a great focus on materials meaning that they can forget their friends and family and just wanting more amd more products. Materials aren't everything. What I'm really trying to get at is that sometimes we need to think about others and not just ourselves. Most people out there don't have a life like we do. That is why I don't like shopping because it makes me feel guilty except if it has to do with zombies. :)
In my opinion, consumerism is very important to me. It is important to me because I like to own things and to be able to say that I have them. For example, right now I really want a new iPod because my old one broke and I like to use it when my family and I travel, it is also important to me because I can also personalize it and make it like a small peice of me. Many people, including myself, think that consumerism is an absolute need in life, even though it isn't that important. A lot of the time I feel like I need what I want and that I want what I need. This is because I am a very big consumer. In all fairness, I think that consumerism has its ups and its downs.
Usually when I go shopping, I'll wait when it's summer vacation and shop back in China unless I really wanted something here in Bangkok. However, if I want books or something that has good quality, I usually go to Paragon. Something really different between China and here is that the price of the same items at two different places can have a great range. Sometimes things in China can be cheap, but they might not have good qualities in some small malls, so when I want to buy presents for my friends, I usually shop here. Also, prices in China can get ridiculously high sometimes for things that are supposed to be cheap.
I don't think that consumerism is that important to me because I am not a shopping fan and usually do not buy any products if I don't really need it; although, sometimes I do buy things that I don’t really need for no reason except just to spend money. I only buy products that go in the category of technology. I do not like to go out of control buying everything I crave, yearn and desire, I would like to control myself and buy only the things I need. The only product I recommend people to buy is a laptop or equipment to upgrade a laptop because it can help you in many ways. A laptop can help you in school, at home, at a vacation, and when you are anywhere in the world. (Except when you are dying and couldn’t do anything about it like falling down a volcano) I will say this once and only once, everyone MUST try to control themselves and think wisely when shopping.
Consumerism has both positive and negative sides. Some people use consumerism as a strength to build up their status in society showing that they are able to afford luxurious things. This shows a sign of financial and economic strength. This in one way connects to materialism. Materialism is where you show a need for possesion of things. For those type of people, having more expensive and complex things are advantages of just being higher in status. Other people on the other hand, try to buy things that are needed and that are able to be used for a long period of time. They don't see how the product will give a boost to their status and only stay to their limits. Like I said, consumerism has both positive and negative sides.
-What are some of the products you have bought recently - clothing, tech. devices, cosmetics, etc.?
I have bought some sweets, drinks, clothes, and games for PSP at Villa Market and MBK lately. I usually buy products that are not very expensive buy have good qualities. I think it is very good to buy cheap but good products because than you can save a lot of money.
-Are there any products you strongly recommend others to buy or not buy?
I strongly recomend people to buy food at Villa (not inculding sweets, and useless drinks) because eating healthy food is very good for you. However, I would not recommend other people to buy clothes from MBK or other places because their clothes are fake and they are waste. Some may say clothes are very important but we all have enough clothes and we should not spend our money trying to buy them.
-My favorite places to shop in Bangkok.
My favorite places to shop in Bngkok are MBK, JJ, Future Park, and Night Bazar because they sell cheap fake things that are as good as real ones.
-What happens if someone is caught up with materialism?
I think if someone is caught up with materialism, they will lose the sight of their social abilities. For an example, when someone wants something really badly, they would try to get it no matter how it can affect other people.
-Advertising techniques.
I think some companies are really smart because hey are making usbuy things just by looking at their few minute advertising or just their poster.
-Ethical Consumerism.
Ethical consumerism is very important because if we do ethical consumerism, we won't waste as much money and other things that are required to make those things. However, I usually dont do ethical consumerism because I really like to have more than enough because it makes me feel good.
Siam Paragon is a lovely place to shop in Bangkok. It is a huge place to shop which is full of stuffs that appeals me to buy it eagerly; I even felt like I want to own that whole building! Even though I bought something, I kept wanting more and more; everything looks so wonderful. For an example, when I bought some clothes, I still wanted to buy more because others look pretty good, too. Then I become to buy more than I planned. At first, I am satisfied of what I bought, but after some weeks I feel empty again and go shopping. I think Siam Paragon makes me have desires to buy all the products from there.
Some people love shopping, some people don't, people like me. It is pretty obvious that people in Bangkok love shopping things they need and even more things they don't need. some people also belief that consumerism is important, I say yes because, without wanting things life would be boring. Without owning things life would not look the same thing. People might love consuming things they don't need because those things might be cool for some period of time but then, they are not really part of anything. The feeling, the time when you know that you have something that others may not, it just feels good. That is probably one of the reasons why people buy things they don't need. And for ending, "Buy things you really want to, but one time you will not be able to buy things you really need to", Israeli article author finish his article about consumerism.
To me consumerism is important because I enjoy shopping and buying stuffs. I only buy things that I really need or like. I usually spend money buying clothes which i really enjoy. Despite ths fact that I like shopping I don't waste my money by buying all products that I want as I have a defined amount of money that i can use. So it takes a long time to find a product that not only fits well into my money but also please my fancy. Even though my mind says that I want to buy more I cannot as I have a defined amount of money. But there are some people who buy things to show off their wealth. This is a negative side of consumerism because they are wasting their money to show off their images do that people would think they are rich. So I guess that consumerism have both positive and negative aspects but that really depends on who the consumer is.
I normally have fun shopping in Emporium. It's a good place to shop, but sometimes there are disadvantages. I shop in Emporium with my family and friends because it's very close to my house. Also there are a lot of products so you can finish buying things in one place rather than looking for what you want by going to many super martets and department stores.
Even though they have a lot of products, sometimes I don't really like the cost. For example, I was looking for a TI-84 plus calculator but I found out that the school sells it way cheaper than they sell at Emporium.
The only thing I prefer people NOT to buy is something that you don't need or it has no advantages of having it. Usually I only buy things that I need. Sometimes I buy things I don't really use, just because I'm with my friends and they're all buying the same thing together. I don't think people shouldn't buy things that they don't need, because there are many people in the world who can't buy anything. It's just a waste of money. I DO buy things that I will never use except for the first time I bought it, so I should fix that habit.
I have bought drinks and snacks from Villa lately because it's close and not very expensive. From MBK, I have bought game console accessories like silicon covers for my controllers our a case for m psp. I would recommend MBK for electronic stuff because it's cheap and it usually works although if something doesn't work you need to return it quickly or else they won't take it back.
For me, consumerism is not important. It isn't important for me because when we buy whatever we want evertime, it's gonna be waste of money, because you will put them into a trash can later whem you feel you want something new.
For me, I think that materialism is a thing everyone knows that it is not good, but it's just something everyone does. It's like you know that it's bad, but yet you can't stop yourself. There are more things in this world that promote materialism It doesn't come poping out, unlike a sign. It's just a thing that tries its hardest to sink into your brain. It works wonders to your self-conscience.
For me, I love shopping for games, electronics, and other entertainment-purpose products. I'm the sort of person who won't go crazy over something like clothing or fashion. Usually my mom buys my clothes. My favorite places to go are: bookstores, the Apple store, B2S, etc.
The bottom line: even though you know it's wrong, but you just can't help yourself.
Shopping at Central Word is normally what I do every weekend. I think that there are disadvantages and advantages for shopping only at one place. Central World is not far way from my house so it doesn't take a great amount of time to get there and it also save the gasoline when driving. The stuff sold at Central World aren't very expensive, but when you buy a lot of stuff, it can cost more that ten thousand baht. Central World is a big shopping mall so you can normally find all the things you need by only going to one place. The are also many disadvantages, some of the stuff sold at Central World are also sold at many other places in Bangkok, sometimes the price at other mall can be lower that the one at Central Word. Recently, I've brought a pair of jeans from Central World, but later, when I was shopping at Siam Paragon, I notices that it was on sale. So sometimes shopping at one place can have positive and also negative effects.
Everyone cosumes a certain amount of things everyday. If you are a person from India, the word 'bargain' is something that is done everyday. In my family, almost everyone bargains at some point, but not all the time. Once, my cousins had come for a visit to Bangkok. My older cousin brother and I were walking in MBK when his eyes caught sight of a soccer jersey store. We walked into the store and he picked up an A.C. Milan jersey. He then asked the shopkepper for the cost. He said that it was 1200 baht. My cousin didn't agree to that price, he tried convincing the shopkepper to reduce it to at least 700 baht. The shopkepper didn't agree. My cousin kept trying and trying when finally, he bought the jersey for 500 baht. Can you believe it? He saved about 700 baht. I, although, thought that 500 baht was a fair price for a fake jersey. I even thought that it wasn't worth even 500 baht, as the same fake jersey would have been cheaper in another store. After this, I learnt that you should buy only things for the right price as somethings may be even cheaper some where else.
I don't think that I get as caught up in consumerism as other people because I tend to care more about friendships than what I can buy. However, when I do buy stuff I tend to buy things like books, games, or stuff that has to do with soccer. I don't recommend that people buy way too much clothes because if you have too many pairs of clothes, than you have too remember to wear each pair of clothes often so that you didn't waste your money. I do recommend people to buy books because you can enjoy books for a long time. My favorite places to shop are Music and Arts, Borders, and Barnes and Noble.
To me, consumerism isn’t that important. Some people simply love shopping and others don’t. I am not a big fan of shopping in general, although I do enjoy buying electronics, sports equipment and games. I usually shop at Emporium because it is very convenient, as the mall is near my house. Emporium is good for buying electronics, books and even sometimes clothes. The only downside is that it is pretty small compared to the other malls like Central World or Siam Paragon. For games, I usually visit MBK, because they are cheap and work most of the time. I think that you should always buy wisely and consider the advantages of what you buy. This way, you will not end up wasting hard-earned money.
I think that consumerism and materialism are present all around the world, especially among the ‘high’ economic class. People buy products which are expensive and of certain brands to boost their economic status in the society. In my opinion, materialism is justified at times, because usually, the products of certain brands are good in quality and it helps some people fit in. However, I think that getting too caught up in buying things and materialism has its negative affects. People become extreme conformists. They sacrifice their individuality, wisdom and spirituality just to buy something because its expensive, gives them a better reputation or because it’s of a brand that everyone else uses. I think that consumerism creates a barrier between people of different economic statuses. It separates the ones who can buy and afford a lot from the ones that can’t.
people have to think deep when they buy something expansive. for expample, i bought an iPOD last month, and i was really happy with it, but few days ago new iPOD nano came out.
In Bangkok my favorite place to shop is defiantly Chatuchak market. It is very cheap and you can find almost anything there. You can also bargain and negotiate a good price, compared to a mall were it is always the same price. Although it is cheap, there is no warrantee on what it is you are buying. It’s kind of a gamble, but for small things I enjoy buying it doesn't really matter.
I agree with the definition of consumerism that was posted. Buying stuff does boost the economy of a country. I think Thailand's economy would be greatly boosted by the tourism rates, as a lot of people like to come here to shop.
I particularly like shopping at MBK and CentralWorld; MBK, because there are a lot of nice and cheap stuff (the problem with MBK is that it's hard to differentiate the valuable from the rip-offs), and CentralWorld because they have a huge variety of creative stuff that you'll have difficulty finding anywhere else.
Shopping here is truly just a magnet for getting caught up in materialism. I myself find it difficult to see the difference between Want and Need when shopping here because everything looks so good and appeals to me.
I think I give into consumerism quite a lot because for me it's hard to resist if I really like something. I don't have a favorite place to shop , I just have favorite products that I like to buy frequently. I read a book recently 'Confessions Of A Shopaholic' in this book the main character gives into both consumerism and materialism. Her marriage was almost ruined because she couldn't help herself from giving into materialism. I think if for a person consumerism changes into materialism then that's a wrong thing. This might happen because of media and the way things are advertised. If the advertisements are good then people might start wanting things more because they are portrayed in such a way.
Consumerism became important to me. In my old school there was no uniform. At first i really enjoyed it, but as the time past it really was annoying to wear different cloth every day. So, i started to wear random cloth that fits me and also confortable to wear. All my friends had a bad view on what i wore. I didn't really cared what they said. But after transfering to isb i am reretful that i started to wear random cloth.
I don't have any place that i could recommend becuse i only went to two places and i bought nothing
We are targeted with useless ads every day. Ads are powerful. If you have a little brother, ask him to choose between a cereal box with a tiny little worthless batman and one without. Most likely, he will choose the one with the action figure. Many products are sold not because of its quality or use, but because of what other extra materials it comes with that is not necessarily worth it. For example, many Nike shoes were sold because it was made to believe that Michael Jordan runs faster with Nike shoes, but the truth is, those shoes has nothing to do with increasing your speed, all it does is cost you money and provide you with materialism. Sometimes we are so caught up with this materialistic world and we mix up our NEEDS AND WANTS. Our basic needs are only cloth, food, shelter, and nothing else. Over consuming makes you happy, but apart from that, none of its effects is positive.
I recently bought clothes, drinks, and snacks from Villa and Emporium. I recommend people to buy products from MBK or Emporium because MBK has cheap products but they might not be as good quality as products from Emporium. Emporium may be expensive but the quality of the products are excellent.
My favorite places to go shopping are Emporium, MBK, Central, and Paragon. I also do online shopping from ITunes to buy movies, TV shows, music, etc.
I think if someone gets caught in materialism, they will forget about everything but the product they want to get. They will lose sight of their social abilities. For example, if someone was really good friends with this other person and one day, the person saw something that she really liked so she kept working to get that product. When she does that, she spends less time with her friend and she doesn't care how her friend feels. She cares more about the product than anything else.
A good shopping place for clothes would be around Siam, because the things sold there are nice but still affordable. But if you're looking for electronics MBK would be a good place for you to go shopping for games and other electronics. We all relate to consumerism because we all go shopping at malls for different products and most of the time we do, we always come home with at least a shopping bag or two. Everyone can't stop themselves from walking into a shop that has a nice display of what they like in front. For me I'm not really aware of over-consumption because if there's a product I like and the price is ok then it is for sure that I would buy that product. When we go shopping we don't care about global-warming, over-consumption, or materialism because all we care about are the nice products and there isn't enough room in our mind to think about the different effects that the products we buy might cause. This might be a bad habbit but it's not a problem that I would try to overcome.
Consumerism is a big 'thing' in the world today. We buy, we sell, and we trade everyday by the seconds. I don't think that anything in the can stop it. Like it is important to the world, it is also pretty important to me. I buy food, clothes, games, and electronics regularity. Like Ethan, I feel that I can show my personality through what buying. Usually before I buy something, especially something expensive, I have to think carefully before buying it. Most of the time I think about its quality, if I will used it that much and if it is appropriately price.
Eventhough we try to buy things accordingly to our values, it doesn't always work out. The problem with buying things according to our values is that it is hard to do. Living in a high society, we are the victims of materialism and fall for it quite often, if not every time we buy. Even me. I might buy a very stylish shirt which is expensive. That would be the at the expense of my value of wealth. Materialism is just as easy to fall for as our world needs consumerism
As much as I would like to say I only buy things that I need, many times I’ve bought things I want that are not necessary for me to have. Even though I know that it isn’t such a good thing, I sometimes still do it. The things I own and the clothes I wear shows part of my personality and who I am.
People buy products for different reasons normally based on their consumer values. Some people buy products because of influence from others. Because everyone has it, they feel like it is essential that they should own it too, possibly to fit in or to feel that they are part of a society. Some people just feel the need to have more than they already do. Some buy things because it is trendy and fashionable at the moment. Then, after a period of time, it becomes outdated and they throw it away to buy something else that is up to date then, and they keep going on like that sort of in a rotation. Which, personally i believe is ridiculous. Some people, like Nimarta said, use consumerism as a strength to build up their status in society. They buy products from specific brands to show others that they can afford to buy more expensive things and that they have a higher status is society. To me, that's just wasting money. I think the brand of a product doesn’t matter; I choose to buy things that have good quality and a suitable price. Overly spending cash on a pair of designer shoes or a handbag is a waste of money. I know that it’s a good feeling to have something new, but is it really necessary? I don’t think so. Almost everybody buy products that they don’t really need, such as a new phone, new games, more clothes, etc. Everyone at ISB have more than enough, but we still choose to buy more. We all know it’s wrong, but it’s a habit that we just can’t break--yet.
Today, one of the biggest activities in the world that happens every second is consumerism. It is endless and occurs everywhere and to everyone since it is all about buying and selling goods. Personally, I buy stuffs that I already have but just want more, like already having three pair of jeans but still searching for more. Moreover, I easily get bored with stuffs I have so I keep on buying new things. My purpose of buying more is just because the products look trendy and stylish, even though I know it is a very bad habit. Nowadays, I decide to buy stuffs that I am certain that I don’t have or if it’s unusable and when I buy it, I can use it in a long period of time.
People purchase more of the products they already have for many different purposes, such as to keep up with the fashion and/or the influence from the surroundings. Also, the consumer bias of people can also come from the advertisements, like the technique of showing models who look good in the clothes they sell, which will make us, the consumers, feel that the clothes will also look good in us and will make us want to buy more. The facilities and merchandise that sits on shelves in malls magnetize consumers, including me to get caught in materialism. Like what Grace T. said, “Everything looks so good and appealing”. I strongly believe that we have no need to buy anything that we already have and it is just a waste of money and time.
Alex Lee- 2 weeks ago, I ordered the gaming headset called Pc 350 from Sennheiser Company. It was $200 which made me to think whether it's worth price. I have studied about this headset a lot and in my opinion, I think it is worth price. Comparing to other headset, it has a good sound quality, good designs and good microphones. I bought this because it is really good when listening to music. It takes 2 weeks shipping. I wanted this headset as soon as possible. When I'm hoping to buy something, I never give up buying it.
I believe that consumerism is important and is correct, because economy is based on consuming and producing. If there are no consumers in this society then there won’t be any producers. Every person in this society is both a consumer and a producer. It is impossible for a person to produce everything without consuming any products. In order for a country’s economic status to increase, there must be a cycle of buying and selling of products.
From my perspective, there is no right or wrong about materialism. Materialism exists and is sometimes correct. Products with high cost from a certain brand usually have a good quality. Materialism can be false sometimes as well. Marketers often use the idea of materialism and increase the prices of their products to an unjust level.
I bought an earphone in MBK before, and they broke in 2 weeks. muAnd I haven't been using it ch. The weird thing is, the earphones looked like they were original. I thought it just broke because I didn't take care of it really well, so I bought another one. Two weeks after, it broke...again. I was really frustrated and annoyed at that time. Therefore, I recommend not to buy earphones in MBK. Just buy a earphone in the department store, even if it's expensive. I recommend it from SONY. I have bought another earphone there, and they work perfectly fine for more than 2 months.
I don't really have a favorite place to shop, but I usually go to Emporium, because it's the closest to my house. Unfortunately, it doesn't have everything you need. For example,when I wanted to buy a gift for my friend, which was a board game, it wasn't there. So I had to go to Paragon to buy it.
I often buy games at MBK or malls close to my house. However, I won't compare the price of the game I buy anywhere. Unless the game is really expensive. In addition, I also buy things that are useful and used often. My house is just 2 minutes away from the mall, so I go there everyday. I guess that I have spent about more than ten thousand on food and products over these six years at the mall. Therefore, I think consumerism is really important to me.
What are some of the products you have bought recently - clothing, tech. devices, cosmetics, etc.?
The last product that I bought (other than food) was an ISB sweatshirt for OS at the ISB booster hut last friday. Before I bought the sweatshirt, I bought a Seventeen magazine at Villa.
Are there any products you strongly recommend others to buy or not buy?
Most products that I have bought are because they have been recommended to me by friends or I have had to buy them for OS. I do not like to spend money so I do not buy much other than what is mandatory. In other words, I'm really 'tight' with my money. Though, if you have not got an Ipod/MP3, then I recommend that - they are great for listening to when going to sleep, doing work and other stuff like that and its really easy to work. I also love to buy clothes at MBK because they are cheap (yay), and they are not that bad in quality. I also recommend the brand of shoe - Birkenstock. They are SO comfortable and are really good for your feet, even thought they are quite expensive (in my eyes). Something that i do not recommend is the plastic pencil cases at emporium, this is because I bought one for 8th grade and its broken already!
You can also post your ideas about consumerism in general; for example:
Favorite places to shop in Bangkok
I like
MBK and
Central (expensive though)
Getting caught up in materialism
I think that many wealthy people, like ourselves, can get caught up in materialism. We can easily get obsessed with getting phones, Ipods, clothes and shoes. The Materialism Cycle can be quite vicious if its not stopped because it goes around and around. I think that we should all learn to appreciate what we have and we should try to stop competing with each other by not thinking - I have to get a new phone, like ... "
Advertising techniques
Some advertising technics that companies use is aimed at portraying power, money or something funny.
Ideas for 'ethical consumerism.'
I'm not sure what this means, but I'm guessing that it means something to do with buying something because of where it comes from. I do not really look at where a product is from, so I can not really relate to this question.
Over all I think that consumerism is a very important unit that needs to be studied carefully.
I have always been told to buy only things that you need. Sometimes I try to but most of the time I don't and buy a lot of unnecessary things. Mostly I buy those unnecessary items because like most of the people on the blog have said, I feel like they express my personality.
All around the world consumerism is a normal part of life. People are buying and selling every second. Most people usually get so caught up in materialism of something that one object that people want so much suddenly is on high demand. Even though the items that so many people treasure are necessary, people still buy them. I do too. It's hard not to buy some items because you get so caught up in what most people have and what people make you believe you need. Since everyone in ISB are people that are wealthy, we don't care if we buy something expensive because we have more than enough money to use.
Usually I buy the products that I really need or want, but sometimes I buy the products that I don't need. When I buy the products that I don't need, it's because I envy the people who have the products and I buy the products on impulse on that time. Also in the world, there some people who just buy the brand because it has good quality. Also, there are some people who usually buy some products that they really don't use because they want to follow the trend of the specific product at that time. I think these are just wasting money to follow the others.
I’m usually shop at The Emporium. It's really fun and good, it's not as big as The Paragon or Central world but I like Emporium more because it's not too far away from my house and it's a little bit similar as the department store in Korea that I usually go. I go to The Emporium with my family and friends, but usually I go there with my sister. In The Emporium I usually buy some clothes and supplies or products that I really want. Also, it has everything that I need than other markets or stores. But my mom doesn't feel good to go to Emporium because she thinks that the products at The Emporium are much more expensive than other department stores.
I don’t do many shopping unless I really need to since I don’t really enjoy doing it. I find it annoying and also frustrating to for example compare the price and quality of variety of products every time I buy things. In addition, I have only shopped in Bangkok in my 4 years in Thailand about 5 times. If I really have to buy anything I go to emporium. I go there because there are many products selling there and most importantly since it’s a department store, there is no negotiation.
Consumerism affects me almost everyday in fact it affects all of us. Consumerism affects me when I'm buying video games or a new computer or any other stuff I would like to buy. Most of the stuff we buy are stuff that we believe we need not stuff that we actually. But not all the stuff we buy are for us to look cooler or better some of the things we buy are what we believe are fun so not all of the things we buy are connected to coolness.
I think consumerism is very important because it gives economic strength which affects all of us. I think one way to get people to buy their product is by advertising. they use all these techniques to get people to think that it is real. For example, most health care products use beaut yas their technique becaue if prople see the video, they might think that if they use that product then they will be beautiful too. The Dove Campaign commercial explains alot what I'm talking about. Of course what they say in most ad's are not real but some of them can have a message like a non smoking commercial. Of course their are more techniques like touchy sensational feeling and using celebreties, etc. but remember, it's all just about trying to capture your attention.
Consumerism, in my opinion, is as important as air to me. I don't think that there has ever been a time in my life when I want to a mall and didn't buy anything. Out here in Bangkok, my favorite mall is MBK. I like MBK because it has almost anything a person can thhink of at an extremely low price. When I first went to MBK, I thought that the mall was the coolest place in the whole world (probably because I came from America where everything is expensive). Now, it's just normal to me. Consumerism is important to me because without consumerism, people wouldn't be able to have the things that they wanted, or even needed. So to sum it up, I am a rather large supporter of consumerism.
Consumerism is very important for me because I’m a woman and women usually consume a lot.
I consume a lot, but not in clothes or food. I save my money then I go to MBK during the weekends and I like to get perfumes from MBK. MBK is one of the cheapest malls in Bangkok, and you can find almost everything there. I like shopping alone because when I’m alone, I can buy whatever I want to, without being under pressure to buy what I don’t like. When I shop at MBK I usually feel satisfy because I spend my money on things that I like and I get many things because some of the prices are low. I give into consumerism because I can’t be a month without getting something new form MBK or Emporium or any other shop.
Consumerism in a big deal all over te world, in some places it may not happen so much, but other places it happens all the time. Before, for me, consumerism didn't affect me so much. But now, i think that consumerism has taken a hold of me and i know it may be bad thing in many cases, but i don't want to fight it.
I think That Consumerism is good for the economy, because when I see something I really like feel like I want to buy it, feel like I am part of the product. I don’t really car to spend money on something I want and need. Last weekend I went to “Central Plaza” I bought their shoes that I really need. I don’t think it was wasting of money because it was expensive and useful, it was worth it, and I would like to recommend to people to shop in there because it’s a very nice place to shop!
Have you noticed that many people are hooked up on materialism? Many people care too much about what they wear and every weekend you see thousands of people buying clothings,technology, which are thing that a lot of people already have and do not need. Everyone knows that materialism is not good, however, they still continue to be thrifty. I don't really care about what wear but since I live in Thailand now, I have spent more money on clothes because there is a wide variety and you can find literally EVERYTHING! I care more about durability than price because I hate clothes that last for a month then they are gone and they cost 200baht. I would rather buy jeans for 2,000 baht that lasts for a long time and if you think about it and do the calculations, you actually save money! So think THRICE before buying cheap items.
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