Why does “consumer society” require “endless desire”?

I believe everyone has always had a question, why is it always so difficult for us to save money? If there must be a main reason, it is the strong "desire to consume". Why do we have such a strong "desire to consume"? This article elaborates on this question from two aspects: the work ethics of social production and the consumption aesthetics of consumerism. I believe you will get the answer from it. Recommended for people who want to understand consumerism.

The industrialized production stage of modern society is what we call a "production-oriented society." Most individuals belong to large factories, and their essential social identity is "worker," with the assembly line as its characteristic. Everyone's work ethics can be summarized as adapting to the factory system, becoming a screw, and moving wherever needed. Whether it is Western society or Eastern society, it still basically follows the operating logic of capital-driven society. Society hopes that everyone can participate in the social division of labor and become a producer, so the value theories of "production value," "commercial value," and "social value" have emerged.

Today's society is already in a stage of overproduction. Due to the unprecedented progress in production technology, the supply and demand relationship is unbalanced, and social products are so abundant that they cannot be fully consumed. Therefore, society requires everyone to "dilute and degrade" more products to ensure that the overall society operates well and develops stably, that is, a "consumer society."

Society requires everyone to participate in it to the greatest extent possible by leveraging their abilities as “consumers” and to shape new members based on the role requirements of “consumers”.

The main manifestations are:

1. The original factory technology has advanced, industrialization has replaced manpower, and a large number of talents are idle, and there is an urgent need for "reemployment". Therefore, according to the needs of the social level, strategies such as supply-side reform and creative innovation industry upgrading have been born. In order to solve the employment and survival value problems of "social idlers", "consumer role" or "consumer industry" is the best medicine.

2. Endless desires and unsatisfied needs are the "value genes" shaped by all members of society. Because only under this value system can there be a reasonable solution for excess production and excess value can be packaged as "unsatisfied desires." Among them, consumption power is the main driving force of society. If consumption power or consumption desire is lost, the capitalist society will collapse.

3. "Instant gratification" is the main feature of today's society, because only "instant gratification" emphasizes "immediate consumption", "advance purchase", "financial borrowing", and spending future money to satisfy the present. Under such social characteristics, social roles will be in a state of long-term excitement, and the money needed to satisfy their consumption desires needs to come from work, so they will work diligently and be driven by capital.

This kind of relationship is not a "forced relationship" but a "seduction relationship". When you go to the mall and spend lavishly, you think you are in control of everything, but in fact you are controlled and driven by the desire to consume. To use a popular Internet phrase, "high-end hunters always appear as prey", and the same is true for the desire to consume.

In order to make "consumption temptation" happen, work ethics needs to provide "monetary support" and product packaging needs to provide "aesthetic support". On the one hand, it enables you to have the ability to consume, and on the other hand, it provides you with consumable products. Among them, the aesthetic consumption represented by packaging and visual temptation can become a major trend, and advertising has played an indispensable role. The social aesthetics led by advertising advocates experience, which is exactly in line with the basic qualities required by the commodity economy.

Why do we linger in the window display? Why are we moved by advertisements and consume unconsciously? Why do we always emphasize self-pleasing and use consumption to defend this consciousness? This is the function of advertising. Advertisements have always emphasized "unsatisfied consumer desires" and have always used designs and copywriting with a monthly salary of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan to shape your consumer world, telling you that "washing machines should be upgraded", "fuel vehicles are not suitable for this era", "the bigger the mobile phone screen, the better", "healthy drinks are the future consumption trend", etc. The various statements are nothing more than to keep the consumption logic going, so that the "taste", "attitude" and "values" promoted by consumer aesthetics become the meaning of public survival. In another parallel dimension, people's work ethics can be consolidated, run, and irrefutable.

Work ethics and consumer aesthetics are two sides of the same coin in a consumer society. Therefore, a consumer society requires "endless desires", while advertising and consumer aesthetics activate the psychological inequality of all people, thereby stimulating more people to use consumption to launch a "freedom revolution". Because shopping freedom and consumption freedom prove equal rights and democracy at some level, this is the uniqueness of a consumer society.

Author: muguahao

Source: WeChat public account: Qu Tailang