In exploring the world of online consumerism one is exposed to a seemingly infinite virtual space of unlimited mediums. The question that continued to plague me throughout this online consumer exploration, was how virtual can human kind go? What are the physical, financial and psychological risks involved with online consumerism and are we taking them seriously?
Do consumers lose something when they exchange physical consumerism for virtual consumerism? CBC Doc Zone (2011) covered the topic of counterfeit products describing a very untrustworthy $500 Billion dollar counterfeit industry and it goes beyond the scope of online fashion into more serious industries like medicine (CBC Doc Zone, 2011). Paying attention to where your products are being produced is a skill that online consumers should prioritize. But are online consumers even aware of the greater implications and influence of their online consumerism? The idea that consumers are part of the problem isn't lost on Yuanfeng (2013) who shares his opinion that "the major problem in Western culture is hedonism and consumerism" and that " you are not the victims...but the prime culprit" (Yuanfeng, W., 2013).
The idea of virtual superficiality seems prevalent in online consumerism. Koles and Nagy (2012) studied the virtual consumption of Second Life citizens and noted that most of the transactions and social interactions focused around shopping and clubs (2012, p. 95) and that the citizens focused the majority of their attention on appearances. The psychology of individuals who participate in virtual reality games appeared to display a pattern that, "voiced certain negative emotions in relation to aspects regarding their real lives, expressing a certain fear of existence in a boring real world...serve as a buffer to compensate them for potential inadequacies in their real lives..." (Koles, B. & Nagy, P., 2012, p.95).
I wonder what the correlation is between the amounts of time spent online in terms of consumerism and the level of life satisfaction of those individuals. I've heard of students and young graduates who become addicted to being online and I can't help but think there has to be some sort of connection to emotional stability and online escapism. Individuals who spend a majority of their leisure time consuming online or even just in the physical world seem to be using consumption as a means to avoid something much deeper, "This vicarious participation is able to mask, at least temporarily, the underlying emptiness of wasted time" (Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2008, p.162). Am I being narrow minded to cast such a negative light on this issue? How can we continue to develop online consumerism to involve digital citizens on a deeper level to engage their critical thinking skills in order to avoid the potential negative impacts of online consumerism? Do we even know what all of the negative impacts of online consumerism are?
References:
Blicq, A. (Writer), Blicq, A. (Director). (2012, January 10). Counterfeit Culture (Television series Episode). In Merit Motion Pictures (Producer), CBC Doc Zone. Ottawa, ON: CBC Canada. Retrieved From:
http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episode/counterfeit-culture.html
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publisher.
Koles, B., & Nagy, P. (2012). Virtual customers behind avatars: The relationship between virtual identity and virtual consumption in second life. Journal of the Theoretical & Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 7(2), 87-105.
Yuanfeng, W. (September 2, 2011). Western countries should rethink consumerism. English: People's Daily Online. Retrieved from: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/91343/7587442.html
Skye, I'm impressed that you read the People's Daily Online. You make a very relevant point that online consumerism can be viewed as a very Western development. Eastern traditions seem less individualistic and more focused on duty to the (real life) community. In that sense, online presence and consumerism appear superficial and just don't make sense. I'm not sure if there is a danger in escapism. Online presence is probably viewed in the same way that television was, and before that reading fiction or playing games. But anything can be taken to excess and one thing that Eastern philosophy is very clear about is the idea of balance. Many of the trends that we have seen in our readings are very alarming when taken to the extreme, similar to any of our forms of escape, or those of our parents or grandparents. This is why I think that digital citizenship isn't unlike citizenship in the real world and the ability to make good decisions (online and offline) is important to develop in children.
ReplyDeleteSkye,
ReplyDeleteYou state “Individuals who spend a majority of their leisure time consuming online or even just in the physical world seem to be using consumption as a means to avoid something much deeper, "This vicarious participation is able to mask, at least temporarily, the underlying emptiness of wasted time" (Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2008, p.162).”
This sentiment is reflected in some of the reading I did particularly on e-consumerism in high school students. In a study by Grant et al (2011), their research indicated that “Students with problem shopping reported symptoms of shopping which appear consistent with addictive behaviors - urges to shop, attempts to cut back, missed opportunities due to behavior, and a calming effect of the shopping. These findings may suggest that perhaps shopping in some adolescents is part of a larger constellation of addictive behaviors which include smoking, alcohol and drugs.” They also noted “Low self-esteem may also be associated with the development of problem shopping in addition to other addictive behaviors (2, 13, 14). Shopping may allow the creation of a fantasy persona of personal success and social acceptance that could be used to temporarily cope with low self-esteem (15).”
It appears that you are not casting a negative light on the issue but rather offering a perceptive clarity. As concluded by Grant et al, “the study did not examine where students preferred to shop (i.e., in stores, online, etc). Given that online shopping may be more widely available to this age group and that the accessibility may foster problematic behaviors, future studies may want to explore possible relationships between problematic shopping behavior and the Internet.” I think the only way we can prepare our students for the world of consumerism is to start when they are young and repeat the message frequently, understanding the increasing complexity of the issue as our students mature.
Trudi
Reference:
Grant, J., Potenza, M., Krishnan-Sarin, S., Cavallo, D., & Desai, R. (2011). Shopping Problems Among High School Students. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3086496/