Collaborative consumerism

Collaborative Consumption

Someday we’ll look back at ourselves and wonder why we had to own so much stuff. What was the point of filling our homes with one-time-use objects or our garages with cars? Surely the rush of buying and the human desire to consume is hard to replace, yet that doesn’t mean we need to buy happiness in the literal sense of the word. Times are changing and so is consumerism; the customs of buying and selling are now a thing of the past. Collaborative consumerism, the idea of increasing the usefulness of what we own and what skills we have to offer, is the future. Collaborative consumption is quickly changing the way we see our role as consumers and though this new trend doesn’t eliminate the human desire to spend money, it is producing conscious consumers that are more aware and understanding of that what they want is the function of the object, not the product itself. We are creating less waste, connecting with others, and saving money, while instantaneously taking a step into the future.

Corporations of today and the past have weaseled their way into the minds of people inducing the compulsion to hyper-consume, which benefits none other than those same corporations. The idea that ownership is what matters has been ingrained into the minds of the public at all ages. Enticed by the promise of fulfillment that traditional marketing tactics make, today’s people buy more products and stuff than they could ever possibly use; seriously, who needs four different types of blenders? As prices are getting lower and lower, people spend more money on products, though they would still consider themselves frugal. In truth, buying cheap, poor quality goods hurts no one but the consumers themselves...

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...fills, and customizes a person’s own style.

Perhaps this new sharing, renting, lending, and trading society is one that will last longer than the previous one that was based on ownership. In a time when people and families are scattered around the globe, sharing things through collaborative consumerism, even with strangers met online, creates significant connection and community. Though making brand-new purchases isn’t entirely outdated, stepping into a collaborative future will evoke conscious consumers who know when and when not to buy things at retail price. Sharing our skills and what we own de-clutters our lives and saves heaps of money for every consumer. Though this new way of buying and selling will take some time to sink in, people are realizing that what they really want is the functionality of the product, not necessarily a new product itself.