How to be a socially conscious consumer

Zayn Toghyan

MTC Freelance Writer

Nowadays, when we open our mobile phones, ads from different brands approach us from everywhere. Sometimes, we get attracted to things that we have no intention to buy. Social media marketing and advertising is a part of every company now. They invest a significant amount of their money on publicity for their products. Therefore, even brands that are not as known might distract you to buy their subpar quality products.

Now, the question is, how to avoid buying things that do no good to us or the environment that we are living in?

To answer the question, we must know ourselves and our desires first. Then, it will be much easier for us to make decisions, whether to buy and consume the products or not.

After that, we shall categorise and prioritise our needs. Then it will be much easier for us when it comes to choosing.

When it comes to investments and creating businesses, consider the entire company’s ethic first. Sometimes, some companies' mottos may not suit your values. This may be a good enough reason to take a pause, consider your options, and alter your decisions accordingly. It is vital to know how and where your money flows.

“I am not rich enough to buy cheap things,” said Vladimir Gendelman. I strongly support this ideology. To be a conscious consumer, we have to choose quality over quantity. Buying cheap things may cost you less at the moment, but it will not last long enough causing you to search for a replacement soon.

Being a conscious consumer also requires you to not believe too quickly in people’s words or in anything that you find on the internet. Especially information that is related to values and beliefs. Many will say whatever they need in order to persuade others into ideas that they believe in. Most of the time, following such things blindly leads to bad consequences.

Imagine, if people would spend their time reading up on information from various sources instead of just always believing in the words of others; would the world still be the same? The answer is simple. NO! Lives as we know would be completely different if individuals would just do some verification before following others. We should also not be wary of breaking the social chain of imitating the majority.

If we follow the mentioned strategies, we can be a conscious consumer who does not cause any trouble for themselves or to others in society.