Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Consumerism

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

Fairchild — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:39:59 -0800

How to you curb your desire for material goods? I'm pretty good at not succumbing to shopping for things I can't afford or don't need. Lately I have been wanting to buy, buy, buy! I want new things for my house. I want new furniture and artwork and other expensive things that are not in the cards right now. I'm not broke, it's just not in the budget.

My house is pretty nice and I don't need anything. I have a lot of new things that I bought last year. How can I stop wanting to purchase even more new things? I have a problem with never being satisfied. If I bought a beautiful print or piece of furniture, next week I would want something else. If I redid my kitchen I would hate my bathroom, etc.

Can you point me to blog entries, articles, and advice that inspire simplicity? Intellectually I know things can't make me happy but I still want and have anxiety that things aren't as nice as they should be. Bonus for tips and advice to change or improve rooms with very little cash. Thanks.

The paradox of what?

piedmont — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:40:28 -0800

Books/Movies/Shows/??? with a heavy anti-consumerism bend? I've been reading and watching anything I can get my hands on. I'm interested in both fiction and nonfiction as well as anything in the way of documentaries that are readily available. As far as movies and documentaries go, anything available online or through Netflix would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

What more can I do to help the environment?

Zarkonnen — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:11:40 -0800

I recycle, cycle, take the train, eat nearly no meat and don't buy useless stuff. But I know it's not enough. What can I do about environmental/consumerism issues that goes beyond that but doesn't involve chasing whalers on a tiny boat in the Sea of Japan? I'm especially interested about answers for things in the UK, but I'm academically interested in international things too. So far, I'm looking at no2id, MySociety.org and its tentacles PledgeBank, TheyWorkForYou etc. Google searches have yielded the Guardian's "Get Involved" page, this guide at OneWorld and Wikipedia's page on anti-consumerism. MetaFilter itself has yielded 350.org. All in all, a fairly good haul.

But given the Hive Mind's great insight, I thought I'd also ask directly.

Note that the answers will eventually get digested and blogged about. Given the rather abstract nature of a lot of the pages above, I'm most interested in practical advice of the form "write letters to x", "go to y on Thursday afternoons" or "start a local z group".

How to find airline tickets/fares without spending hours on dozens of sites?

paultopia — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:18:43 -0800

Sorting out the airline ticket sites -- is there an efficient way to do this? Confusion and madness reign. So it seems like there are a jillion airline ticket sites, all with different schedules, prices, gnarly interfaces, etc. There are the big sites, like orbitz, travelocity, hotwire, etc., and then there's the individual airline sites, and then there are specialty sites like priceline...

Does anyone know efficient way to cut down on the search costs to find the cheapest ticket and the best schedule? If I hired an old-fashioned bricks 'n mortar travel agent, would (s)he be able to get me the same kind of deal that the websites get? Is there some kind of meta search-engine that can do this?

Every time I try and buy plane tickets, I feel like I should walk up to Ken Arrow and say "here's your damn general equilibrium theory!"

Can you recommend a great online-article on consumerism?

whatgorilla — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:30:53 -0800

Can you suggest interesting--but not too long--articles on consumerism, for the College Writing class I teach? I'm looking for essays on the manipulations/advertising, contradictions, hypocrisy, unsustainability and ethics of consumer culture, where people spend more than they have to buy more than they need at a price too cheap to treat workers (and the environment, etc.) fairly. While this question (the assignment itself) is biased, I'd like to think it's getting them to think critically about their life and assumptions, since we live in a first world, pro-consumer culture. Pro-consumerist articles won't be ignored though.

Ultimately, my students will be writing an essay answering this question:
To what degree—if ANY—do we, as consumers, have an obligation to educate ourselves and spend our money more wisely or ethically?

So far, they’ve read—and summarized or responded to—these articles (and one or two others):
1. The Science of Shopping by Malcom Gladwell:
http://www.gladwell.com/1996/1996_11_04_a_shopping.htm
2. The Coolhunt by Malcolm Gladwell:
http://www.gladwell.com/1997/1997_03_17_a_cool.htm
3. They Say by D. Ruskoff
http://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm?fuseaction=printable&book_number=227
4. Two Cheers for Materialism by James Twitchell:
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~gmp1/twitch.htm
5. The Singer Solution to World Poverty by Peter Singer:
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/19990905.htm
NOTE: Some common responses to Peter Singer's argument (and rebuttals of those responses) are here--but you don't have to read them: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/Singer%20Poverty.htm

ANY ideas, recommendations, suggestions, opinions, etc., will be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance. (note: I don't post to askmefi or mefi very often--I hope this isn't too self-serving. If so, I suppose it'll be erased and I'll be sorry.)

They're everywhere, but I can't find them

PixelatorOfTime — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:28:52 -0800

VideoID Filter: Help me find an online video from about a year ago that "highlighted" all of the advertisements in a city. All of the ads were white and everything else was black (or the other way around?). It really illustrated how surrounded by consumerism we are.

What cell phone/plan do you use?

idledebonair — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:09:54 -0800

Ok, Seriously. What is the best US cell phone plan/company/phone/method of doing business? I read on Consumerist all the time about cell phone companies being horrible monsters who lock you down with contracts and swindle you with features and accessories. What does the hivemind do when it comes to having a cell phone? Do you have a contract because of the discount on phones? Do you buy your phone outright in order to not have a contract? What is your strategy?

The photographer and the lens

oxford blue — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:44:27 -0800

What lens to buy? I'm thinking of upgrading my lens arsenal.

To wit, what say you about the following combination to replace my Canon 50mm 1.8 II.

-Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM
-Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
-Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

My interests are pretty eclectic, and I don't particularly restrict myself to one style or the other. However the plan is to slowly turn photography from a hobby into a source of income; as such I want to do more free lance gigs (I've done a few already), and expand my stock portfolio.

Would this combination of lenses work well? I know there is nothing truly wide, but Canon doesn't make an affordable (i.e non L) and fast prime that's truly wide, especially on a x1.6 sensor. I figure seeing how used I am to shooting on 50, it will feel, comparatively, 'wider'.

A possible alternative, that I'm not wild about, is simply getting the 17-55 2.8 IS. However I'm much in love with the speed and quality of primes, as well as their low weight and that they are pretty cheap. Plus, I'd like to keep my options open if I decided to switch to a full frame camera (EF-S lens aren't compatible) at some stage in the future.

I'm not really sold on third party lens. The gestalt seems to work better when it's homogenous.

Can you see any weaknesses? Something I've forgotten? Any advice would be swell.

Just more subtle forms of consumerism?

Foci for Analysis — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:53:08 -0800

How to find balance between consumerism and materialism, and taking care of needs and appreciate quality/craftsmanship/design? divabat's AskMe got me thinking. I often find myself asking if I really need to purchase this particular item, be it clothes, food, books, music, gadgets, etc. I don't think I buy a lot of unnecessary things, my budget doesn't allow me to, but I find myself wanting a lot and rationalize about buying them by telling myself that it's about quality, good design, craftsmanship, art/culture. However, I ask myself: isn't this just a more subtle form of consumerism?

I realize that certain things are essential for living a decent and meaningful life, e.g. clothes on your back, healthy food, books, etc. But where do you draw the line between needs (I really need this) and wants (Do I really need this)? For example, are expensive quality shoes about filling a need or just about wanting? How about kitchen accessories such as knifes or appliances that cost a lot? Or clothes made by indie producers (they do cost)? (These are just examples of things that I obsess about; i don't necessarily buy them.)

So I'm wondering how you people deal with thoughts like these. Also, being a bookworm, I would really like to read some literature (preferably research papers) on the topic that could bring clarity and needed perspectives. Thanks.

I prefer Syrah over both

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:15:25 -0800

Pop culture having an influence on the wine industry/wine consumers? Every since the movie/book Sideways came out, I'd noticed and read that (in the US) Pinot Noir has become more popular and Merlot less so.

Are there any other instances of pop culture affecting wine like this? (both in the US and other countries)

How do I apply a new technology to old products when I have access to neither, and make money doing it?

UnclePlayground — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:10:59 -0800

How do I apply a new technology to old products when I have access to neither, and make money doing it? Let's say there's this new, great technology just announced. Really brand new. The people who have come up with it really don't even know what to do with it. They have a few applications, but nothing extraordinary. And then I see a niche in the marketplace that this technology can be applied to. Consumers will pay lots of money if this new technology is applied to products already available. There's a lot of doubt that these products currently work properly. With the new technology applied, chances are that the product will be fool-proof and everyone will want one.

Now, I have access to neither the new technology, or the products. Just the idea to combine the two. How do I get a percentage of the profits from presenting my idea to the right people? Is this a patent lawyer thing? How do I get the best deal for myself from my idea?

iPhone camping supplies

baggers — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:24:58 -0800

I'm planning a campout for the iPhone. What supplies should I get? I'm organizing a campout for the iPhone. I'd like to make it as comfortable as possible for the people doing the camping; what would any veterans of star wars/PS3/Wii campouts recommend that I get for the people doing the camping in terms of chairs/tents/etc?

Show me the Money!

hadjiboy — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 20:03:12 -0800

Is consumerism bad? Should I feel guilty about wanting the things that I do? A bike, a laptop, a mobile phone with a camera and audio files. These aren’t things that I need (as in life and death survival kinds of things), but would love to have if I could. Should I pursue the course that will get me these things; a stressful job that might not be as spiritually fulfilling as I’d like it to be? Or should I take the Gandhian way and absolve myself of such trivial pursuits? Believe me, I’ve tried, and the only thing that it’s gotten me is a skewed perspective of society. For years I thought “People who buy stuff = Bad” and “People who forgo such things = Good”. But lately, I’ve been seeing things as not so black and white as before, and I feel there may be a huge grey area to explore. So, should I take the plunge? (I’ve been clinically depressed for a long time now, and ever since my treatment started, and I started to get my life back in order, I’ve been planning to do all those things that I always wanted to do, but never thought I could.) Plus, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m no Gandhi.

Songs about Consumerism?

Kwine — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:07:19 -0800

What are some good songs about consumerism? As a pre-teen, I was very much into Billy Joel, particularly his 1993 album River of Dreams. The song "No Mans Land" from that album, whatever one thinks of its artistic merits, inspired my first critical thoughts about the skewed, wasteful, buy-buy-buy corporate-centric nature of my society.

When it popped up on my random playlist today, it occurred to me that I couldn't think of too many other songs that so clearly, blisteringly excoriate the American (Western?) culture of consumption. I'm sure that they're out there. Who can name some, especially songs that particularly influenced your thinking on the issue? Bonus points, of course, if the songs are musically noteworthy as well.

How do I buy a car online?

!Jim — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:26:07 -0800

How do I buy a car on eBay without getting screwed? I am considering buying a new car, and I would like to tap out of state resources (specifically eBay), since the car is a little rare and expensive around these parts. Normally when buying a used car, I would go check it out, have my mechanic look at it, take it for a drive, etc.

Is any of this possible if I want to do this on eBay? What is the procedure for such things? Do I have any recourse if I buy this sweet new ride and it blows up on the way home?

Other considerations and experiences, good or bad, are quite welcome.

Best Fry's Electronics in Bay Area

bitmage — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 07:25:36 -0800

What is the largest/best Fry's Electronics in the Bay area? I'm going to be visiting San Francisco and wanted to hit that geek wonderland, Fry's Electronics. Which store is the largest/best? Other nifty geek shopping locations in the area welcome.

What is carbon debt of a new car?

445supermag — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 10:52:42 -0800

How much energy/CO2 debt in used/incurred in the production of a new car? The fpp about the group who pledged to buy nothing new (which I can't find) got me thinking: some consumerism is spurred by the idea that newer products are more energy efficient than the older ones. But new products may use a lot of energy in their production and the break-even point may be beyond their lifespan. I seem to remember hearing that it takes several tons of coal to refine 1 ton of steel, does anyone know how many with modern processes? And the other materials in a car take even more energy per pound (which is why they cost more: aluminum is $3.50 a pound while steel is $0.50 a pound even though the raw material is cheaper). This makes me think that a new car may have racked up a 10-20,000 lb. CO2 debt before it is ever driven (just in raw materials, not including manufacturing and transportation). Plus the enviromental impact of the plastic, electronics and paint.
Is there a good estimate for this sort of thing?

I'll Take Airborne Swiffering For $200, Alex

gompa — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 15:27:33 -0800

What are disposable airplane headphones made of? And on a vaguely related note, what are those disposable Swiffer cloths made of? I'm working on a short piece for a Canadian magazine on the increasing ubiquity of one-time-use products, and these two are my preferred examples. But my best research efforts have failed to unearth the exact (or even reliable approximate) compositions of either of them. Now I'm trying to save myself the headache(s) of calling the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and/or Procter & Gamble to get spun answers from the manufacturers themselves.

So far, I've got shortlists of the kinds of plastic and metals that likely make up those headphones, and I know that Swiffer cloths are not permitted in certain green-bin recycling programs because they are presumed to contain synthetic fibres and/or toxins.

Can anyone out there in MeFiLand beat my half-educated guesses? I'd happily send a copy of the magazine the completed article will appear in (Canadian Geographic's spring environment issue) to anyone who can.

What do I do with all this plastic?

knave — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:44:17 -0800

What do I do with all this plastic? Or, rather, what do you do with it? I'm talking about the seemingly endless stream of plastic that ends up in our modern lives. I know what to do with bottles and cans (just clap your hands), but what about shrink wrap, saran wrap, packing materials? Just looking around, I see chapstick, deodorant, box of q-tips, all of these are disposable and made of plastic. AOL CDs that arrive in the mail. I could go on for hours...

For that matter, what do you do with styrofoam? Aluminum foil? I feel somewhat ok with throwing out a bag of trash per week when it's mostly food or paperish stuff that will decompose. But the garbage bag itself is plastic, too. Is this crap going to exist in a landfill forever? Is there anything I should be doing that I'm not presently doing?

Something about this time of year always seems to bring it to the forefront for me. The thought of all the wrapping paper (what's that stuff made of anyway?), shrink wrap, plastic packaging, that will all be thrown away, just disturbs me.

Gadget cage match

mecran01 — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 21:17:19 -0800

PSP or Ipod? i.e. which of these do you think would be the most entertaining piece of mind candy in the long run? I realize that as a pure mp3 player, but I just played with a playstation portable, and they are just sooo cool and hackable.

Framing Holiday Gifts?

themadjuggler — Fri, 17 Dec 2004 18:13:00 -0800

Being sick of Christmas consumerism, I'm trying to create as many of my holiday presents as I can. A semester-long photography course has allowed me to make a bunch of nice-sized prints for friends. I saved the best for my girlfriend, a portrait of a swan from our recent trip tp Strasbourg, France.

What I'm wondering is if it's presumptuous/precocious/obnoxious to have it framed for her.

Flat panel TV alternatives

benjh — Tue, 15 Jun 2004 18:02:01 -0800

With the proper amount of cash, what is the best alternative if I want a flat panel television? I've been looking at the Dell LCD 30" and drooling in the mall. But I'm wondering if there are other, better ones, or if I'm better of waiting a while.

Ideally, I would like to have my computer act as my DVR, hook it to this LCD panel, and use this for all my computing and TV watching needs (since I write on my laptop anyways).