Does this resonate with you? I want it to resonate with me. Really. But.
Consumerism seems to be the „opium“ for society. It looks as if it succeeds in keeping people calm, content, or dare I say, „under control“? Oh, and only if they are actually able to spend money, that is!
I am torn between both points of view. Because if people quit „cold turkey“ there will be set-backs, especially if quitting is an „Order from above“ and not something intrinsically motivated. Also, isn’t our entire system built on the foundation that we would have to keep consuming to keep the economy running, which in turn runs our livelihoods?
Before we stop consuming, shouldn’t there be a change in thinking, in how we value societal contributions off the beaten path of commercial successes? What else is there that makes us feel like an important contributor to the society we live in?
Also, if we look at what’s around the corner in terms of AI automation, this will not only open a whole new other can of worms, but it will inescapably push everyone towards rethinking their position in and contribution to society.
I will definitely watch the movie, but I am also a little apprehensive as to the dangers of following solutions too binary or too simple to really take seriously. Formats like the one teased here lend themselves to illustrating the problem but then leaving audiences awash with missing and non-constructive solutions. THAT’s what I am curious for – where are the solutions and what would they look like?