There seems to be a shortage of hours in a day. I don't get the recommended 8 hours sleep every night. I eat too much fast food because I'm never at home, or because it is fast and convenient, or I do not have the time to cook. I tend to fill my calendar with as many activities as possible, such as shopping, eating out or catching up with friends, although I struggle to keep up with my basic commitments (e.g. work, uni). I am incredibly enthusiastic about shopping and purchasing clothing and items, but I may not even use or wear what I purchase.
However, I'm not completely ignorant about the potential consequences or underlying causes of my lifestyle. I know getting enough sleep is crucial towards my wellbeing. I know my diet is full of sodium, saturated fats, sugar and preservatives, which will potentially lead to many health problems if I don't change what I eat. I prefer resting at home with a good book, rather than constantly being out of the house and busying myself with anything and everything. I am also aware that I am exposed to countless advertising messages in a single day, by corporations who will try to manipulate my purchasing habits for a buck. I also know that excessive consumption will not make me any happier.
Barbara Kruger's "I shop therefore I am"
But then if I know all of this, why do I live the lifestyle that I do? We'll get back to this question.
Perhaps all of these lifestyle traits stem from the phenomenon of social acceleration, which is described by William Schueuerman as "a decrease in the amount of measurable units of time necessary for a particular activity or experience." Social acceleration ties hand in hand with economic acceleration, and both social and economic acceleration include the heightened tempo of everyday life, which refers to "an objectively measurable intensification of experiences and activities that we engage in during a given period of time." Schueuerman also mentions that there is more leisure and free time in this present day and age due to technological advances, and that economic growth leads to consumers having more buying power. In turn, firms persuade and push consumers to buy more goods, which results in a paradoxial situation, in which a "harried class of consumers" drown in material goods, who spend more time purchasing rather than enjoying the actual product.
Now back to the question. Why do I still live this kind of lifestyle?
I know what is a lifestyle that is healthy and ideal for me, which may involve a more relaxed and a slower pace of life, but perhaps subconciously, I want to keep up with societal norms, and I may be afraid to fall behind those around me. Do you think that's the real reason why myself, and many others, choose to live a busy life?
Definitely easier to be a consumer then an anti-consumer in society! Love a bit of Kruger (reminds me of art analysis in feminist/post modern contexts circa Year 11).
ReplyDeleteHey - I've slowed down my life massively lately - but only to commit to work, and recently to study - it sort of occurred slowly though. I used to quite a busy bee although perhaps not as busy as you! You do seem to have a lot of commitments on your plate!
I do want to reach one point in my life where I will own a minimal number of objects - although the idea of a future bustling cluttered family home sounds lovely/traditional - but in reality probably quite tiring/requiring constant spring cleaning.
Yes, it is definitely easier to go along with the flow of consumerism! ( I must say, I've cut down now on my commitments, surely for the sake of my study as well, I had to make some sacrifices and re-prioritize what I really committed my time to. But it also means I hardly get to catch up with anyone, boo :(
ReplyDeleteAkira,(the fashion designer) is an interesting case ... no joke, he would be pretty rich but he hardly has anything in his house and doesn't own a car.