The Hard Truth About Social Media: Part Three-Unnecessary Desires and Excessive Spending
The “never ending want” of human existence is nothing new. Generation after generation has longed for things outside of their capacity. However, credit cards, loans, financing etc have popularized instant gratification, whether we can afford it or not. The word afford means something different now. To our current aging community, afford meant they had the actual money in their bank account when they wanted to buy something. If they wanted a mattress, they had to save for it. If they wanted groceries but did not have enough money, they could not pull out a credit card.
It is no secret that more recent generations struggle with spending significantly outside of their means. Many people are reeling from debt, and continue to pursue the lifestyle they want by using credit, or financing. Interest turns into more interest, which turns into money lost. While some do not have a choice but to incur debt to continue pursuing their “needs”, others continue to spend way past their “needs” and focus only on what they “want”.
Social media plays a large part in “want” turning into “need”. It has exacerbated instant gratification. The goal of a marketing campaign is turn a product into a “need” in our minds. These campaigns used to be run on TV, in newspapers, on billboards etc, but the fastest growing marketing scheme today is social media, hands down. We are inundated, not just by ads, but by our extended network of connections posting everything from food at swanky restaurants, to new outfits, to great trips, to new cars, to excessive 1 year old birthday parties. Is it wrong for people to post things they are proud of, absolutely not, but does it affect YOU more than you realize? Definitely.
I learned recently while watching the documentary Fed Up that what we see can subconsciously, and consciously affect our actions and our “need” to consume. Fed Up is a documentary focused on unearthing secrets within the food industry that are leading to childhood obesity. While Fed Up was focused on the consumption of food, we can still desire to consume all kinds of things. There was a study spoken about in Fed Up that focused on two different groups of children and how TV marketing by the food industry could affect their consumption of goldfish. The children in group A watched a TV program that had no food ads, while group B watched a TV program that had several. The children in group B ate forty-percent more goldfish than the children in group A. Forty-percent is not a small number. Our minds are affected by what we see on a daily basis, even if it is only subconsciously.
We need to guard our minds against what social media outlets tell us we “need”. To be aware of our lust after the belongings of others. We do not have access to other people’s full story, and certainly not to their bank account. We do not know how much debt they have incurred or what their goals are for their lives. We only see the social media snap shot. Social media paints everyone’s life as perfect, but let’s be honest, no one’s life is perfect! Social media hampers our ability to guard our minds from suggestion. In order to be content with our own story, we must be aware of the fact that what we see can affect us.
When you really “want” something, ask yourself why? Try to trace the desire back to the source and be honest with yourself about why it exists. I’m not saying it’s strange to have “wants”; it’s natural if not motivational to have “wants”. Instead, try to be aware of the affect social media can have on your mind and be adamant about not letting it control you. Know what YOU are passionate about, what YOU are interested in, what fills YOU up and what brings YOU true fulfillment. As you learn those things about yourself, work hard to achieve them and take solace in the fact that your purchases originated with you, and not with others.
Thanks for stopping by! Jen