Consumption: fad...?

“From the work ethic to the aesthetic of consumption” brought up some interesting points about what it means to be a consumer, what it takes to be a consumer, how we consume and the interaction between consumers. As anyone can realize from their own interactions with products, consuming is a purely personal decision. “Consumption is a thoroughly individual, solitary, and in the end lonely activity; an activity which is fulfilled by quenching and arousing, assuaging and shipping up a desire which is always a private, and not easily communicable sensation” (p.30). Choosing what you want to consume depends upon your own personal judgment of the products worth. Anyone can go and consume any product they want at any time (granted there are limitations such as price but these will be ignored). Although consumption is such a personal experience, it seems that all people consume in groups. Whether you are eating, shopping, going somewhere; you will usually do it in a group. The article talks about how, when in a group, it seems that everyone is just “copy-cating” the rest of crowd. This is what companies must realize and I’m sure they do. Although being a consumer is personal, trends are still a very popular way to base your personal judgments. Various “fads” have come and gone, and all they while each company made their fare share of the American consumer’s money. This also speaks to the attributes of consumption. People want their products fast, they want their products popular, and as soon as they consume them they want to forget and move on. The producer/consumer game is what drives our economy and what makes retail so successful. Although consumption may be singular, there are any number of subliminal factors affecting the way a consumer asses a given product.