Header photo by Matt Foxx on Unsplash.

Intro

The modern world moves fast, and that's doubly true when it comes to consumerism. Whether it's keeping up with the latest must-have products or staying on top of the latest online trends, there's always something demanding our attention, money, or both.

I want to take back control of my time and my cash, and spend both in ways that add lasting value to my life, beyond the fleeting rush of instant gratification. In my first post I'd like to lay the groundwork for what will follow, with an explanation of the issues I'm trying to address, and what you can expect from my writing.

What's this guy talking about?

For the past 3 or 4 years, I've been on a personal journey to try and better understand the nature of modern consumerism and how I can respond to it. That journey is ongoing, but there's one thing I understood pretty quickly- there's a lot about the modern world that makes me uneasy.

Most of us carry around handheld devices that we know are designed to be addictive, holding our attention for as long as possible to serve us ads and harvest our data. These same devices provide a constant stream of must-haves, trends, and "aspirational content" (with affiliate links, naturally), designed to monetize people's insecurity and unhappiness. This has been our reality for years already, but cheap and fast mobile internet sped things along, and AI is now taking things to a level that would have been unimaginable even 5 years ago.

We have the potential to connect with millions of people around the world from the comfort of our couches, and consumer goods are cheaper and more attainable than ever before, but none of that has made people feel happier or more fulfilled. Something about that doesn't feel right to me.

So, what's the answer?

Well, if I told you now, this would be a pretty short-lived project, right? But, in all seriousness, I have pretty much no idea, but I'll be sharing the progress, dead ends and backsliding I've experienced so far.

For me, the biggest mental shift has been to embrace friction and ride out inconvenience. Don't let your days pass by while just running autopilot. Don't just grab that new soda flavour because you saw an influencer drinking it. Don't let FOMO keep you fixed to your screen. Don't sell yourself out for the convenience of not having to think about what you're doing.

Companies invest a lot of time and money providing "seamless experiences", but I want to take the dirt road. When you head out to grab some lunch or hover your finger over "Add to cart" on your phone, do the hard work of asking yourself what your choice says about you. Where will your money will end up? What's the impact of your choice? Who will benefit from it, and will anybody suffer? Is there a better option?

What's next?

I know this post has covered a lot of very complicated ground very quickly, and individual elements of what I said deserve there own posts too, and they're going to get one sooner or later.

But I'm not just going to brain dump a lot of vague sentiments on you. Alongside the heavy stuff, I'll also be sharing some personal insights into what's driving this journey, as well as reviews of products I've tried, along with an explanation of why I made that particular choice (for better or for worse).

If you made it to the end of this post, thank you so much for your attention, and until next time!