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Let's face it. Modern society is about taking shortcuts and making money instead of creating anything ambitious or worthwhile. Most companies realized this long ago and consequently resigned from the challenge of competing on quality. Instead they took to the battleground of creating cheap and inferior products but marketed them really well and convinced the masses that they could simply purchase a meaningful experience or lifestyle identification. As products were repurposed from function into a declaration of style fused with image validation, the illusions created began to be taken as reality. For example, soda that was once considered merely carbonated sugar water was now a thoughtful expression of one's decision to make an exciting product choice. As people became accustomed to the idea of disposable products, the idea of cheap items breaking and having to be repurchased frequently became accepted, as did the internal psychological damage that resulted from the symbolism of a world in which everything popular was constantly broken and thrown away.

Enraptured by the idea of becoming the actor represented in the ads, the masses took to the illusion and disregarded all sense of function and purpose. Since the only check and balance on marketing is the immediate economic result, marketing ran wild and created "value" by tricking consumers into buying junk. With refreshing honesty, capitalism admits that its assessment of value is only what people believe value is. Because beliefs are easily manipulated by persistent marketing, it can be very profitable to manufacture shoddy and thoughtlessly designed products while maintaining the perception of value.

There are a few exceptions to this formula. There is a small minority of people who are not swayed by nonsensical advertisements promising an image but rather desire relevance within reality. This market often consists of serious people who are willing to pay more for something that has more value. It is not surprising that despite the higher end items costing more they also provide significantly more value because of their superior design, function, and quality. There are even rarer products that eschew marketing completely and concentrate entirely on being inexpensive yet effective.

You can choose the extent of your consumerism and the type of consumer that you are. If you vote with money to support shoddy products that are poorly designed, serve no purpose, and fall apart, then that is the social mentality you will get. We live in a capitalistic society and our social mindset inevitably reflects the de facto mode of production.

You hold the path to the future in your hands.

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