Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Online Collaborative Consumption

      Often times I think on how technology creates a certain level of disconnect between people. We are the generation of digital technology, wirelessly shackled to our devices. Everyday you can observe people walking past each other, staring at a handheld screen with such intense focus that they fail to pay any attention to their human counterparts that pass by, who are also preoccupied with their own little screen. Tablets, smartphones, Kindles, ipods, laptops, etc. are all examples of what I normally associate with a human disconnect. People so wrapped up in what ever little world they are in, that they fail to acknowledge the physical bodies around them. We are reliant on our technology. While I normally say that with slight distain, Belk's article brought some things to my attention.
     It was nice to see people using the internet as a way to share with one another, especially with people who had seen some sort of hardship. However, Belk's big point was that this sort of behavior is transforming the present economy. People's values seem to be shifting toward a more thrifty direction. The example about car ownership values was particularly useful here. Why get strapped down with hefty car loans in order to own a car that I will only use a small percentage of the time? In the past car ownership seemed to be an instilled cultural value of the American, and now people are moving away from this thought process. Rather than buying things they don't need, people are sharing with one another for those rare occasion items (such as the electric drill that was mentioned).
     The question that is being raised is how will companies handle a market that isn't purchasing as many goods, because the market is sharing. I can't offer a real solution for the big companies that will be taking a monetary hit because of this behavior, but it is apparent that corporations who produce and sell long term items may need to start considering the consumers disinterest in long term due to the practical uses of these products.

Zack

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.