Introduction
Nowadays, consumption has become one of the most critical issues in the modern world. Consumption is a continuous process that makes people buy and use products and services. Personal issues such as consumer behavior and self-control are drawn to this question and are meant to influence the concept of consumption and the self (Gordon-Wilson, 2021, p. 575). In addition, contemporary marketing practices make people purchase more products, motivating the population to spend more finances and lose control over their consumer consciousness (Reyes, 2020). Therefore, it is vital to address consumption and the personality to understand what influences the person and makes them consume in the way it is and critically assess the consumption practice.
Consumption Concept
There can be multiple consumption options, from fast food to news and media perception. For instance, increased meat consumption is derived from population growth and increasing incomes (Godfray et al., 2018). Many countries face the problem of food overconsumption, which leads to various diseases (Mattson, 2019). Apart from food overindulgence, people tend to overconsume natural resources such as energy and water, which might provoke severe deficits worldwide.
Several consumption theories might explain behavioral patterns in people and raise awareness concerning the question. As it is known from the course’s material, economic, social, and cultural factors influence consumers’ choices (Marginal Revolution University, 2017). For instance, relative income theory suggests that income becomes a determinant of consumption and directly affects the volume of consumed goods or services (Li, 2018, p. 166). According to this hypothesis, the consumer’s attitude depends on relative income compared with one of the other individuals rather than objective norms of living. It can explain why some needy individuals spend more money on products; they might strive to cover the gap between the rich and the poor. Thus, some serious issues may arise from this theory: people start to consume things they cannot freely afford and, therefore, decline their objective standard of living, irrespectively purchasing more expensive items. It might result in blind pursuit of a better life and constant comparison to other individuals’ incomes.
Another theory on consumption assumes the individual saves a substantial portion of their income at working age to use their savings for retirement. Life-cycle consumption theory suggests that some people have significant revenue at a young age, for example, salaries, savings, or inherited finances. It might lead the individual to an anxious economy throughout their life and decrease the standard of living. One more essential approach studied in the course is the capitalist theory, in which mass media manipulates people to consume more products and, therefore, for capitalism to prosper (Pirgmaier, 2020). The higher demand creates a more extensive offer and production diversity.
Increased Consumption in the Population
Understanding why people consume more nowadays and the source of increased consumption is vital. One of the possible keys is that people’s consumption reflects their lifestyle and behavior. With the help of consumption, individuals can express themselves and demonstrate their living standards to society. One of the course’s videos stated that people often do not want what they need, and their desires might be false (Plomomedia Reference-Clip, 2013). For example, one of the evident examples is the direct parallel between the poor and the rich. Wealthy people usually are known in mass media, and individuals become aware of their wealth and expensive purchases. It can be why a significant part of the world’s population strives to buy the same products and raise their living averages. Beautiful pictures influence many people, and, even not being able to afford expensive things, they might spend their savings on luxurious goods.
Moreover, mass media is inclined to dictate to people how to live. Even though marketing practices seem to be inoffensive, they might influence consumers to a great extent. One of the course’s concepts is bounded rationality which enables people to choose the most satisfactory decision rather than being inclined to the most rational option (Dhami and Sunstein, 2022). Therefore, some consumers are led by irrational thoughts and beliefs rather than awareness. In addition, marketing might become one of the possible reasons for black markets to exist. When people grasp that they cannot buy some expensive goods freely, they might address the market of fake products and create the illusion of luxury. It might be explained by people’s desire to seem richer and better in the eyes of other individuals.
People’s consumption is their reflection – a suggestion might explain the role of people’s self-consciousness and well-being during COVID-19. It is known that the virus proceeds to take millions of lives away, and it might bring crucial changes in the lives of many families worldwide. Many individuals refused to visit shops during social isolation and used online delivery to avoid social contact (Xu, Siegrist, and Hartmann, 2021). Moreover, isolation made people more vulnerable and exposed them to many fears, such as illness, economic decline, financial insecurity, and death (Ramalho, 2020). As known, in 2019, coronavirus became an innovation and scared the population greatly; people felt insecure and lost (Yildirim and Solmaz, 2020). It was investigated that alcohol consumption increased significantly during the pandemic (Chodkiewicz et al., 2020). It might not be surprising, as alcohol affects the human organism and brings such effects as relaxation and detachment. Alcohol consumption had a tremendous impact almost in all geographical regions during the pandemic (Calina et al., 2021). It is stated that online alcohol consumption increased by 477 percent by the end of April 2020 (Calina et al., 2021, p. 531). Americans consumed 14 percent more alcohol in 2020 than in 2019 (Calina et al., 2021, p. 532). In the United Kingdom, people drank 17 percent more alcohol during the lockdown (Calina et al., 2021, p. 533). Alcohol consumption increased respectively in Australia, Greece, Belgium, and Eastern Europe. For many people, alcohol became a strategy for dealing with stress and anxiety. These rates demonstrate that there is no clear boundary between nationalities or cultural belongings, and such consumption is dictated by human stress and fears.
Culture and Class Affecting Consumption
Furthermore, it is vital to understand how cultural background and class identity impact consumption. For instance, the identity of the American consumer might be explained by cultural, mythical, and spiritual tenets. Spiritual values explain why people strive for wealth and spend it. Moreover, the culture of the “American Dream” matters in this issue, as it affects the behavior of modern American consumers (Coscuner-Balli, 2020). In spiritual and mythical practices, brands are symbols and “cultural codes” attached to material things (Suddaby, 2019). As per Jean Baudrillard, a sign equals value, shaping the utility of luxurious brands.
Cultural context creates core values and beliefs, and it is vital to note that long before current generations, these presuppositions were shaped continuously, making a particular image of consumption. For example, fundamental studies of Puritanism and Transcendentalists arrived long before modern marketing strategies appeared and, thus, influenced the collective memory of society (Suddaby, 2019, p. 414). “American Dream” was one of the most popular dimensions in American culture in the 1990-s when people worldwide strived to get the same picture of a perfect life (Coskuner-Balli, 2020). One of the suggestions is that this belief is derived from Puritanism. Puritans did not believe that hard work would allow them to be in paradise after death, explaining it by God’s will and initial determination (Suddaby, 2019, p. 414). That might be why American culture seems to focus on individuals who strive for a prosperous life in a moment and consume a significant number of goods.
It is crucial to determine who gains from people’s expression of self and their identity. Possibly, the key figure in this issue is the market, which dictates its rules and makes people consume products (Rademaker, Stafford, and Andéhn, 2019, p. 219). It can be relevant to examine the clothes market – the consumer wants to wear unique couture clothes, and the market gives it. Furthermore, this consumption is available for a significant part of the world’s population; for instance, various brands, including mass-market clothes, can be available for someone with different budgets. Moreover, it works reversely – the market creates fashion rules and trends, and the consumer purchases them. Therefore, the market and manufacturers win in this issue – they shape consumer consciousness. As it is known from the course, the lower the price, the more people will buy products. Various discounts might encourage people to purchase more, even if they do not need many of these products (Lawrence and Friel, 2019). The bounded rationality concept focuses on social limitations imposed on a consumer, leading the person to irrational and impulsive consumption.
Examining Personal Consumption
It is vital to examine personal consumption practice to grasp the influence of purchasing process on consumer decision-making. For instance, being an American student, it is possible to draw an example with healthy food consumption. Nowadays, many young people wish to adopt a healthy lifestyle, practicing morning meditation and promoting healthy eating. Sometimes, it might be complicated to follow a healthy lifestyle; indeed, it requires some resources to be consumed. For instance, meditation needs special equipment, and healthy eating should involve organic food. For many individuals, such a lifestyle becomes their reflection and expression of self. According to Marx’s theory, this choice is explained by my class identity, which is close to the modern bourgeoise class. Karl Marx proposed that the working class of proletarians is exploited and exposed to a higher risk of social and economic failure because of capitalism’s prosperity (Boccalatte, 2020). In the modern world, some consumers cannot afford certain types of products and services available to other members of society, highlighting the crucial issue of class inequalities.
My cultural background likewise affects my choice, as standards are usually derived from cultural values, practices, and expectations, influencing my behavior as a consumer. In my culture, being healthy is not a violation of religious and cultural rules and views, and it becomes possible for me to express the self this way. Moreover, my consumption practice says that I am a person who strives to live a longer and healthier life. If to assess my consumption practice critically, some healthy food markets gain from my self-expression. For example, I visit several shops with organic products, and I might bring significant profit to sellers. In addition, fresh water and organic milk manufacturers gain from my consumption practice, as I constantly purchase and utilize these products. Moreover, in high- and middle-income settings, it becomes possible to plant “dairy alternatives,” which can substitute animal food and incline consumption trends to more healthy standards of living (Alae-Carew et al., 2022, p. 1). Such consumption practice is feasible for middle-income and higher-income people, as organic products are usually more expensive than ordinary or ready-to-eat food.
Conclusion
Overall, several reasons might be drawn to explain why people consume the way they do. Cultural background is one of the critical issues concerning this question, as people’s cultural beliefs, values, and presuppositions influence and shape their preferences in consumption. For instance, Muslim people cannot afford to buy certain types of meat even though they have financial resources. It is influenced by Muslim traditions and shaped ideology, which affects Muslim consumer behavior in many ways. In addition, marketing is a powerful tool to dictate and manipulate consumers: it states what to buy and what to wear. In specific ways, mass media marketing provides people with knowledge of modern trends in fashion, style, and eating. In the example of the pandemic, it might be appropriate to state that people’s fears and oppressed emotions affect consumption, making the population utilize more harmful substances. Class identity shapes the perception of goods by consumers. It facilitates people to use consumption patterns for class distinguishment, which can be why there is a big class gap nowadays. Moreover, markets and sellers gain from daily consumer habits derived from people’s desire to express themselves through certain ways of consumption.
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