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50 Insightful And Funny Takes On Anti-Consumption, As Shared On This Online Community
When U.S. soldiers returned home after World War II, they found a country quite different from the one they had left. Wartime production had helped pull America's economy out of the depression, and during the late '40s, young adults saw a remarkable rise in their spending power. Jobs were plentiful, wages were higher, and people were eager to spend. Between 1945 and 1949, Americans bought 20 million refrigerators, 21.4 million cars, and 5.5 million stoves, a trend that continued well into the 1950s. The massive growth of suburban populations meant an even bigger demand for automobiles. Families of all income brackets were buying televisions.
Historian Elaine Tyler May thinks that the federal government and the American people saw the new consumerism as a way to de-emphasize class differences while stressing traditional gender roles. Things that defined "the good life" were within their economic reach, so working-class people could achieve the upward mobility they craved.
And we haven't stopped filling our inner void with sparkling things ever since. As Kerryn Higgs, the author of Collision Course: Endless Growth on a Finite Planet said, the capitalist system depends on never-ending growth and it would simply fail if people were content with what they have. Over the course of the 20th century, capitalism preserved its momentum by molding the ordinary person into a consumer with an unquenchable thirst for its "wonderful stuff."
And the subreddit r/AntiConsumption illustrates this notion beautifully. Its 294K members criticize, question, and discuss everything consumerism-related, and provide clear-cut examples of how the system degenerated. What I like about this online community is that it isn't ringing alarm bells, declaring the end of times. Instead, it invites us to take a step back and look at the reality we have created for ourselves.
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#1
Thought This Belonged Here… It Drives Me Nuts How There Is Such A Purchase-Culture Around Fitness And Health
RELATED:
#2
Useless Stuff Indeed
To learn more about r/AntiConsumption, we contacted its moderator, u/NihiloZerowe. "There is a broad range of subject matter that gets discussed in the subreddit," they told Bored Panda. "You often see posts from people who are sick of litter, who are discontent with the dominant economic order, and who dislike excess packaging. There are a fair number of vegans in the sub and many subscribers are concerned about global warming and ecological degradation. Occasionally, someone will promote some sort of boycott or protest. I'd say the sub definitely leans left, but I don't ban people who want to argue about some sort of idealistic capitalist ecotopia. One thing that makes the sub stand out from other similar subs is that we don't have much tolerance for green consumerism. Trying to market your 'eco-groovy' new product in r/AntiConsumption will probably not help your sales very much."
u/NihiloZerowe also tries to avoid moderating the subreddit with a heavy hand. They believe that "even seemingly inane posts can spur discussion, bring in new subscribers, and lead people to other posts discussing more substantial topics." To be honest, I can't remember a Reddit community this big and active with just one person looking after it. But it looks like u/NihiloZerowe is doing one hell of a job.
"Some people don't like memes but if those memes drive traffic... Then I see that as a positive. To the extent that the content gets a bit monotonous (e.g., MY USB STICK CAME IN A BOX THAT COULD HOLD A BUICK!). I encourage people to post the content that they'd prefer to see discussed. If you don't like something in the sub then downvote it, mark it as read, and move on. Or maybe explain why you don't like something. I really like to see debate and discussion in the sub and try not to stand in the way of that. As long as the posted content isn't overtly bigoted or an advertisement in disguise, I'll usually let it stay up so that subscribers can vote and respond to it as they see fit."
#3
Great To See Out Society As A Whole, Progressing
Sebastian Richter 5 years ago
In other countries you can get arrested when getting stuff out of Supermarkt dumbsters.
#4
There Are So Few Spaces Like This Left
Vasana Phong 5 years ago
So sad but true, I remember community centers that has activities for free, now you gotta pay for certain things
#5
Put The Small Biz Before Big Biz
Steve Wilson 5 years ago
I absolutely agree but I have one huge concern: If I buy five things on line from five different web sites it means I’ve given my credit card info to five different people I have probably never dealt with before.
In a way, economic anthropologist, author, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Dr. Jason Hickel, agrees with the subreddit. According to him, the great challenge of the 21st century is learning to consume less. "In recent years, scientists have published estimates of the world's total consumption of material stuff, including everything from fish to livestock, minerals to metals, forests to fossil fuels. It comes to more than 80 billion tons of stuff per year. A sustainable level of consumption is about 50 billion tons per year, scientists believe. We are overshooting the mark by 60%," Hickel explained.
"This means we are eating away at the web of life on which we all depend for our survival. This might sound impossibly abstract, but we can see the consequences around us. Fish stocks are collapsing. Pollinators are dying off. Agricultural topsoils are turning to dust. Huge swathes of coastal ocean have become dead zones."
#6
Remember Kids, “Vegan Wool” Is Plastic. And When It Breaks, It’s Decomposition Will Not Be Friendly
Angela Turrall 5 years ago
They are not wrong. I largely buy second hand, and almost only leather, these things have had a whole life before me, and will have a whole other one after.
#7
My Work Is Required To Have Paper Charts And Maps, But They Expire Every Couple Months. I Take The Expired Charts And Use Them As Wrapping Paper
#8
Old Bag New Life So My Mom Spent The Day Removing The Old Straps From Her Swimming Bag And Replaced Them With What She Had At Home: Some Old Cargo Straps. I Think The Colors Work Really Great With Each Other! Please Give Her A Thumbs Up!
From everything they've seen on the sub, u/NihiloZero expects that society will consume less in the not-so-distant future. But with that being said, the moderator doesn't think it'll be caused by some sort of positive cultural shift.
"Rather, I believe that resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and political instability around the world will break down the modern system of consumerism as we know it. I believe the hiccups in the supply chain that we're seeing right now as a result of the pandemic are small potatoes compared to what's coming. It would be nice if we could make a smooth transition to smaller self-sufficient and sustainable communities, and I won't try to stop you if that's what you're trying for, but I really don't expect such a transition to be smooth, if it ever happens at all," they explained their thoughts.
#9
What Up Water Homies
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
But sadly a lot of people don't have access to healthy tapwater for various reasons, ranging from incompetent authorities not able to set up a functioning water supply system to incompetent authorities wilfully poisoning their citizens with lead.
#10
Our Economy Thrives Off Insecurities
#11
Just Came Across This And I Just Wanted To Share It
u/NihiloZero said the community of the subreddit "can be a bit holier-than-thou sometimes."
"You see a fair bit of gatekeeping and fingers pointed at those who are deemed to be conspicuous consumers. The anti-capitalists don't like the capitalists. The vegans don't like animal eaters. The pedestrians don't like the filthy motorists. We probably get a relatively high number of luddites commenting in the sub. Related to all the "anti-" positions... we also get a fair number of trolls who like to push the buttons of the true believers. But, really, I think the sub is mostly comprised of people who are sick of the violence, destruction, and waste in the modern world. Sometimes we can laugh about it, sometimes we can't. Sometimes we're serious and sometimes we're not," the moderator explained.
#12
🙄
#13
Me Everytime There Is A Discussion About Straws
#15
Yep
Since /r/AntiConsumption is about to hit 300,000 subscribers, u/NihiloZero wanted to use the opportunity and encourage everyone who enjoys its content to become a member.
"Please don't let me dissuade you from working on sustainable projects or promoting them in the sub," they added. "We've got a lot of subscribers who are into that sort of thing and would likely give you feedback. Some of it might be positive, and some of it might be negative, but you're likely to get feedback either way!"
#16
Found On Fb
#17
My Sister’s Gender Reveal “Party”. Her Doctor Wrote The Baby’s Gender On A Piece Of Paper. At The End Of The Day The Whole Family Joined A Video Call Where She Unfolded The Paper! That Was It!
#19
To Keep Prices High
#20
Consumption Is Most Ravenous At The Top Of Society, Consuming Small-Businesses Too
#21
This "Low Plastic" Pen Is A Perfect Metaphor For Environmentalism Under Capitalism
#22
Not Perfect Anti Consumption, But I Used Black Takeout Containers And Old Greeting Cards To Give Out Homemade Cookies This Year
#23
We Need A Different Economy
#24
Restaurant Ask Customers To Stop Wasting Buffet Food
#25
Not Sure What They're Expecting
the child 5 years ago (edited)
the space between no ads and paying your artists well while keeping the app free is very small... i dunno how i feel about this because the reason why spotify and youtube are basically free is ads, and the reason why premium paid versions exist is so the artists are still paid
#26
Did You Know That You Can Rewear Clothes? This Changes Everything
#27
The True Cost Of Stuff
Vasana Phong 5 years ago (edited)
I hate Black Friday, and how religious holidays has become commercialized , yes the day after thanksgiving is Black Friday, the start of the holiday season ( Xmas for me) I know that Black Friday isn’t a religious holiday, didn’t mention that
#29
What A Beautiful Billboard
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago (edited)
It's a joy you can experience yourself, without any cost! You can buy my e-book here!!!
#30
You Are Enough
#31
Problem Solved
Julie C Rose 5 years ago
I don’t mind trucks because I take the bus and don’t own a car. Does that count?
#32
Croatian Company Made Their Toilet Paper Package With A Cool Dual Purpose
Andrew Gibb 5 years ago
knowing Croatian plumbing the bag is for putting used toilet paper into
#33
Some Decent Tips I Think
#34
My Sister Asked Me To Buy These 2 Products For Her Birthday. This Is The Packaging For 10 Ml Of Product
#35
This Really Hit Home For Me To See Today!
#36
Permanent Permaculture
Muff_Fluff 5 years ago
Gardens are a lot of upkeep. A lot of people don’t have time for them. Plus there’s the issue of finding something that will grow where you live.
#37
Great Idea Stolen From Facebook
#38
Bernie Showing Us All The Way
#39
Just Ewww
#40
Less Ads More Content Follow
#41
Brands Aren't Your Friends
#42
It Do Be Like That
#43
You Know When You Can't Figure Out If Something Is Satire?
#44
Sometimes That's Hard To Forget With All The Advertisements For Sustainable Clothing Brands
Winter Eleven 5 years ago
Women's clothing is less quality than man's. In my experience, my shirts get ripped and overstretched in less than a year. Boyfriend has the same damn s**t without any tiny holes in since like 2015 (the cost was the same)
#45
This Would Be Very Depressing
Angela Turrall 5 years ago
“Hello? Yes, I’ve changed my mind, and I’d like to take the blue pill please.”
#46
Bruh
#47
I See This Every Year. Over 60,000 New iPhone & Samsung Cases Are Dumped Because They Won’t Fit The New Models
#48
Right
Angela Turrall 5 years ago
And that leotard will be up her butt crack and wedged in her hooha fast than you can say downward dog, how uncomfortable and impractical. I hate the consumerism that sits behind climate change, and how so few see that this is adding to the problem.
#49
Plastic Straws And Sandwich Cutters Aren’t The Devil
#50
Absolutely Disgusting
#51
👏👏
Dave P 5 years ago
actually those things is what makes most blue collar middle income Jobs. A Luxury Yacht like the one in the picture is 1800 full time jobs for 3 years where the lowest paid worker is a skilled laborer earning at least 60k Euro a year (if they are past their apprenticeship period). Not to mention at least 1000 part time laborers for all the decorative aspects like installing the gold trimming, etc. This number also doesnt include all the other jobs connected to it, such as the jobs at the metal plants they get the Steele and Aluminum from, etc. And the businesses that rely on the workers there taking lunch breaks, etc. Per Dollar or Per Euro much better Money to Person efficiency ratio that govt employment or govt program. Not to mention the approximately 60-90 people needed to run a boat like that full time where the lowest paid deckhands earn about 1200 Euro a week, and all the jobs connected to the about 30 million in maintenance a year, etc. I support rich buying these things
#52
Thoughts?
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
Reading these "wisdoms", looking at my Dutch life and realising that I'm happy to live in a society where materialism isn't that big of an issue.
#53
Banksy On Advertisements
#54
Maybe Less
#55
Reposted From R/Whitepeopletwitter
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
Never felt that way. If you do not sell what I need, I don't buy anything.
#56
That's How I Feel About Most Of My Possessions
M O'Connell 5 years ago
The joke's on you, most of my things used to be other people's trash. Only my time was invested, nothing else :)
#57
Had A Couple Of Friends Share This One
#58
We Have Reached Peak Wastefulness
#59
Thoughts And Prayers
Julie C Rose 5 years ago
As someone who volunteers with a tree planting organisation and donates to Greenpeace and has seen how the organisers of both groups talk about this issue, miss me with the “meat eaters bad” bollocks. And I say this as someone who’s eaten mostly vegetarian for a large chunk of this year.
#61
A Brief History Of Consumption
#62
Come On Guys, We're Not Buying Enough Worthless Crap
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
It's funny how a system that is underpaying employees so they can't even afford the bare necessities expects them to buy worthless and useless crap.
#64
Interesting Rock Found
#65
No, Please Stop...
#66
All Those Gadgets Are Convenient... Until They’re Really Not
#67
When A "Lovely" Handmade Gift Is Still Not Enough
#68
Saw This In A Store In Amsterdam
#69
"There's A Plastic Island The Size Of Texas In The Ocean" Written On A Bottled Water Ad
#70
Words To Live By
#71
Everything Wrapped In Plastic, Everything Unhealthy, Everything Sponsored By Big Companies. This Is Not What Moral Leadership Should Look Like
#72
The Consumption Loop
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
Little treats can also be a long shower and early to bed with a good book from the public library....
#73
Kardashian Calling Someone Cute For Having To Work 20 Hrs To Afford Their Jeans
#74
It Always Wears Off
#75
I Live In An Italian Region Which Produce 2 Milions Tons Of Apples. This Is Where My Supermarket Apple Is Coming From
#76
Starbucks Bans Plastic Straws
#77
Pointless. Absolutely Disgusting Use Of Co2
beastmachine. 5 years ago (edited)
Something you might not know is that you just can't leave airplanes grounded for too long, aircrafts are extremely maintanence heavy equipments and if they aren't stored in a proper long term storage then they are legally required to fly them periodically to maintain air worthiness. So even if passengers were going to be part of the flight or not the aircraft would have been forced to fly to nowhere to check if everything is working. The same is also true for the pilots who need to fly a certain number of hours to maintain the licence. Getting some passengers for the flights is actually making them more useless.
#78
Saw In Atl And Thought Of This Sub
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Cori 5 years ago
I've come to the conclusion that I must be some weird subspecies of human. I'm (hopefully) about to get a better paying job and I was thinking just yesterday that I should buy myself something nice out of my first paycheck. But for the life of me, I can't think of a single 'thing' I want or need.
BA 5 years ago
Well you bought this self-congratulatory post, and that's something.
Load More Replies...
sofacushionfort 5 years ago
Consumerism depends on peer pressure. Fighting it isn’t about congratulating yourself for not buying stuff you don’t need: it’s about accepting others who show up with stuff that could be nicer.
Cori 5 years ago
I've come to the conclusion that I must be some weird subspecies of human. I'm (hopefully) about to get a better paying job and I was thinking just yesterday that I should buy myself something nice out of my first paycheck. But for the life of me, I can't think of a single 'thing' I want or need.
BA 5 years ago
Well you bought this self-congratulatory post, and that's something.
Load More Replies... sofacushionfort 5 years ago
Consumerism depends on peer pressure. Fighting it isn’t about congratulating yourself for not buying stuff you don’t need: it’s about accepting others who show up with stuff that could be nicer.
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