What is the main difference between the capitalist world pre- and post-2020? The main difference is the consumer mindset.
The consumer pre-2020 was the type to believe in taglines, sales, brand images, and the latest social media endorsement. This consumer wore brands like Zara and Shein without hesitation. This type of consumer bases their decision not on background and impact but simply on the face value of the product, how trendy it is, how efficient it is, how expensive it is, and whether it fulfills their purpose.
To this kind of consumer, the only defining factor is whether the product fulfills their purpose, whether that be as a status symbol, a tool, a trend, or simply an addition to their lives. However, for the consumer of today, the value of a product is more than just a price tag or a brand name; it is association, connection, and ethical reasoning.
The consumer of today has a new mindset, one that matches the politically shifting and hyper-vigilant era we live in. This mindset focuses more on the back end than on shiny labels and names, and this shift is triggered by one simple realisation.
People willingly or unwillingly created everything we own. Every one of our purchases, regardless of size, supports people and industries that engage in either unethical or ethical practices in this world, and every purchase we make as consumers influences the balance between the two.
So what do you choose? Ethical or unethical?
Do you eat at McDonald’s and buy a cold Coca-Cola even though they support the genocide in Gaza conducted by the IDF, or is it just a meal and a drink?
Do you go for a vacation to Dubai and buy authentic Arabian gold even though the UAE has been complicit in conducting genocide in Sudan? Or is it just another trip to a cute destination?
Do you buy clothes from ZARA, Temu, and SHEIN even if they create low-quality clothing in warehouses with enslaved and overworked workers from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan? Clothes that will inevitably end up in landfills due to their low shelf lives, or is it just another cute shirt you can add to your closet?
These are the questions the consumers of today are asking and implementing. It’s not just a cute shirt anymore; it is your beliefs manifested into a product. It is your political standpoint, ethical reasoning, and the effort you are willing to take to stand behind these views.
What we buy is no longer just about the product. What you buy becomes what you support and inevitably what you choose to ignore, so now we question it. We ask who the company’s founders are, what they support, and what their ethical practices are.
Are their workers being paid well? Are they exploiting, misusing, or breaking laws? Are they environmentally friendly? Are they sustainable? Do they support the right causes?
Are their actions good enough for people to buy their products? It’s not just about the product anymore; the “value” is no longer just that of the physical product; it is the business itself and, by connection, the people involved with it. From a worker to a CEO, every one of them defines the value of the product.
These same principles also translate into the “cost” for the consumer when they choose to buy an unethical product.
This shift was no simple one; it sent ripples through the capitalist world, and now even the most dignified businesses can fall to their knees with one post or tweet. This pressure keeps businesses liable; it asks questions, demands answers, and has consequences.
The business is not untouchable anymore, and every action has real-life repercussions, but even with all our efforts, Zara, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Apple, etc, are all thriving. Businesses that have proven to be unethical in one way or another, whether that be in their internal functioning or associations, are still thriving.
Does that mean this ethical consumerism is just a ruse?
Yes and no. Ethical consumerism is not that simple, and not everyone is or can be doing it. Ethical consumership requires effort, effort that many people who are privileged enough not to be affected by politics or the struggles of those afflicted are not willing to take. Furthermore, many of these brands and businesses are household names, so it is simply easier to refer back to airplane mode and buy what you know.
On the other hand, like most things in this world, boycotting and buying ethical products that match your views is also a luxury. For some people, it is easier to buy a 2-dollar shirt from Temu rather than something from a small business because that is the budget they have. For many, maybe all they can afford for lunch is a pizza from Domino’s, even if it violates their ethical standards.
Ethical consumerism is a tricky road to traverse because capitalism inherently is unethical and built to serve the man on top rather than the people on the bottom; however, that does not mean it does not work. Through targeted boycotts, we have seen closure and a fall in sales of many brands and businesses, as well as growth and support for small businesses that are ethical and founded by actual people, not just names and titles.
We all may just be one individual, but our collective effort impacts a system, and in a capitalist world, every purchase, ranging from a designer handbag to a carton of milk, impacts this system.
So what choice do you make? To ignore the political world around you or to take action in your own way?