[DCEite]

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, reshaping the global landscape in profound ways. As nations struggled to contain the virus's spread, economies took a hit, societies reeled from loss, and people were confronted with their vulnerabilities. In the aftermath, however, something unexpected emerged - a surge in consumerism, skyrocketing incomes, and an insatiable hunger for more. This transformation, though appearing positive on the surface, has unveiled a darker underbelly that warrants reflection - a society gripped by fierce competition, rampant materialism, and a loss of essential human values.

Consumerism and Exponential Growth

In the wake of the pandemic's retreat, economies experienced an astonishing resurgence. India, like many nations, witnessed an economic boom as pent-up demand was unleashed, driving a frenzied consumer culture. Citizens rushed to malls, restaurants, and tourist destinations, embracing their newly found freedoms with fervor. The increased demand for goods and services led to high incomes for some, further fueling a cycle of consumerism. However, this rapid rise in consumption comes at a cost.

Fierce Competition and Fear of Missing Out

The era of consumerism brought with it a fierce competition for attention, success, and status. The fear of missing out (FOMO) has driven individuals to constantly seek more, not just in material possessions, but also in terms of experiences and recognition. Social media platforms have amplified this trend, showcasing curated snapshots of seemingly perfect lives, intensifying feelings of inadequacy and the urgency to keep up. Consequently, people are becoming entangled in a relentless race, often losing sight of their own well-being and values.

Erosion of Human Connection

While the wave of consumerism has resulted in economic growth, it has also eroded the very essence of human connection. The pursuit of individual success has overshadowed communal harmony and empathy. Impatience has become the norm, evident in the way people navigate roads and public spaces. The value of human life seems to have diminished, as reckless driving and a disregard for safety have become more commonplace. This erosion of empathy is also evident in the way people interact with each other - self-interest frequently trumps compassion and understanding.

A Hostile Future in the Making

As consumerism and materialism tighten their grip, we risk constructing a hostile environment for ourselves and future generations. The cities we build today could become breeding grounds for stress, anxiety, and isolation. The infrastructure that once fostered human connection and community may be replaced by avenues that prioritize individual indulgence and status. This shift threatens to corrode our social fabric, leaving us with a generation that lacks the values of empathy, helpfulness, mindfulness, and compassion that have historically held societies together.

The Path Forward: Balancing Growth with Values

Reversing the tide of consumer-driven culture requires a collective effort that prioritizes human values over relentless expansion. Society must recognize the importance of striking a balance between material well-being and emotional well-being. Education plays a pivotal role in nurturing empathetic, mindful, and compassionate individuals who can navigate the challenges of a modern world without losing sight of essential values.

Leaders in business, politics, and media also have a responsibility to shape the narrative and set an example. Promoting sustainable practices, responsible consumption, and a sense of community can help counteract the negative effects of consumerism. Additionally, integrating mindfulness and well-being practices into everyday life can foster a sense of fulfillment that goes beyond the superficial gratification of material possessions.

Final thoughts

The post-pandemic world has thrust us into an era of unprecedented growth and consumerism. Yet, this progress comes with a price - the erosion of human connection, empathy, and values that have been the bedrock of societies for generations. To build a future that is not only economically prosperous but also emotionally rich, we must confront the challenges posed by rampant consumerism. By reevaluating our priorities, fostering empathy, and embracing values that transcend material wealth, we can create a society that is both prosperous and harmonious, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and mindfulness for generations to come.

As a BHPian what are your thoughts on this subject ? Do you relate with this ?

[Mystic]

Thanks for doing a great job on articulating your thoughts very beautifully on the post pandemic behaviour of humans.

My thoughts which may have an influence of my grandfather UG’s philosophy and I am free to misinterpret him in my own ways as put by him in his own words:

“My teaching, if that is the word you want to use, has no copyright. You are free to reproduce, distribute, interpret, misinterpret, distort, garble, do what you like, even claim authorship, without my consent or the permission of anybody-UG”

When one sees the human existence on this planet in the big scheme of things, Covid-19 is a very small problem we have faced in our lifetime. There is no solution to human problems and these problems keep on changing. If we start thinking that human relationships and behaviours have been strained due to covid, we may not be correct as fundamentally, the human relationships are based on the fact that “what do we get out of the relationships”. If we don’t get love, then it turns to hate.

We would be wasting time to create an ideal human and perfect society which has been strained due to the pandemic as human thinking is born out of this neurological defect in the human species. Anything that is born out of human thinking is destructive. Thought is destructive. Thought is a protective mechanism. It draws frontiers around itself, and it wants to protect itself.

My personal observation during the Covid is that we all have seen death at very close quarters. Many families have lost at-least one member and post pandemic has made many to be philosophical and hence going by “Live for today, plan for tomorrow and party tonight” as we never know what can happen to us day after tomorrow and hence the urge to spend.

There is nothing wrong if one gets an urge to spend all his wealth in his life time due to the uncertainty brought by pandemic to life but the issue comes when it is being spent with a wrong motive related to other human beings.
There has been no qualitative change in man's thinking; we feel about our neighbours just as the frightened caveman felt towards his. The only thing that has changed is our ability to destroy our neighbour and his property.

I recently was looking at the following video which makes tall claims with lot of metrics on India’s growth story which I don’t fully agree but it definitely is a food for thought on where is India going?

https://youtu.be/UaffoAqnBSk

[PGA]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Final thoughts

The post-pandemic world has thrust us into an era of unprecedented growth and consumerism. Yet, this progress comes with a price - the erosion of human connection, empathy, and values that have been the bedrock of societies for generations. To build a future that is not only economically prosperous but also emotionally rich, we must confront the challenges posed by rampant consumerism. By reevaluating our priorities, fostering empathy, and embracing values that transcend material wealth, we can create a society that is both prosperous and harmonious, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and mindfulness for generations to come.

As a BHPian what are your thoughts on this subject ? Do you relate with this ?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with such a clarity. I for one, certainly relate to them and have been thinking hard to make sense of post covid behaviour of individuals and society in general. I see a lot of similarity in this behaviour across the world as well. And conventional arguments of pent up demand and feeling of freedom or living up for today do not make sense to me atleast. There are many reasons for that, prior to covid we were in an economic gloom and doom phase, then covid happened, then Galwan happened and Russia- Ukraine war happened, we had Chinese real estate crash, we had US banking issues, climate change, visible food shortage and serious social issues in our country and in the neighborhood and we have just carried on with our merry making literally unmindful. Any time earlier it would have necessitated serious discussions and actions on part of the civil society and the govts unlike now when we enlighten ourselves on the WhatsApp and YouTube and carry on.

And then I came across this TED talk and it suddenly made all the sense. Like mentioned by Ian Bremmer our behaviour is no longer being governed by nature or nurture but by an algorithm, and if you are young and digitally connected you are under its spell.

https://youtu.be/uiUPD-z9DTg

It's the new 'opiate of masses'. Why it happened just after covid, seems a coincidence as of now. Is 'yesterday once more' a possibility, I do not think and where are we headed! World of movies like Mad Max and Matrix just yesterday looked so far off from reality- not anymore. We as a civilisation are hurtling towards claiming 5 old basic human instincts which every earlier thought had advised us to stay away, these were the evils which took away our freedom and allowed us to be ruled and exploited by so called Kings and Charlatans. As of now we seem to be headed that way, looking back at history it also tells us that this pathway is full of violence and misery, so be it, we have been there before many times, albeit in a little different way each time.

Apologies if it sounds a bit exaggerated, only meant to convey a viewpoint.

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Final thoughts

The post-pandemic world has thrust us into an era of unprecedented growth and consumerism. Yet, this progress comes with a price - the erosion of human connection, empathy, and values that have been the bedrock of societies for generations. To build a future that is not only economically prosperous but also emotionally rich, we must confront the challenges posed by rampant consumerism. By reevaluating our priorities, fostering empathy, and embracing values that transcend material wealth, we can create a society that is both prosperous and harmonious, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and mindfulness for generations to come.

As a BHPian what are your thoughts on this subject ? Do you relate with this ?

Wow, well-articulated! Very few could have done such a good job of writing it up like you did.

I thought that I was the only one that felt like this. I always felt that people are living like there is no tomorrow post-pandemic. A person I know used to hitch hike all the time for any errand that he had, now he bought a highend car post covid with accessories worth 3-4 lakhs and generally splurging quite a bit on food, partying, vacationing etc. I couldn't really understand what changed all of a sudden. Similar pattern shows up in weekend traveling across all of Bangalore, home buying patterns ( people that debated if they should buy 90 lakh rupee homes suddenly were looking for 4 crore+ villas ). I don't attach any negativity towards all this, except when it starts becoming detrimental to fellow-human beings.

In one's urgency to get to work or destination, people seldom seem to care about following traffic rules or outright bluffing when caught doing bad things. Earlier if a two-wheeler swiped your car, he would just apologize before moving on. Now, they don't even look at you, for there are 4-5 bikes overtaking your car at any point from all directions and it's impossible for you to figure how grazed your car. Same reflects in people's work ethics. Most folks only get in 2-3 productive hours at work (yes!). Most folks call in sick randomly. Important things have taken a backseat and hedonism is at it's peak.

If you live like there is no tomorrow, it might actually come true very soon!

My words aren't thoughtful or structured as yours but thank you for stirring this debate.

[steadfast]

Nicely written.
I think the main idea driving this behaviour is that 2020-21 has made people realise there is no tomorrow. Whatever is there is now and needs to be enjoyed to fullest. The earlier logic of segmenting our life into age segments and corresponding bucket lists has now diminished and people want to live pro max every next moment they survive. Earlier the logic was to have a bucket list of 40’s and then 50’s and so on but now just do everything that is possible today.

[PearlJam]

While you've written the post very nicely, why do I feel that this is a rant?!

Most of the points you raised, like "Fierce Competition", "Erosion of Human connection", "relentless race", "a hostile future" etc - every generation has been ranting about these things. I remember many of my older relatives echoing the exact same sentiments 30 years ago. Every generation looks back with fond memories of the "good old days gone by" (as per what they remember and feel - note that the brain has an uncanny knack of forgetting unpleasant things over the years, and remembering only the pleasant ones), and talk about how things were so good/peaceful during their younger days, and how things are going from bad to worse.

This reminds me of environmentalists who are extremely passionate in protesting each and every infrastructure project, which they equate to "Consumerism. But at the same time, conveniently living in their gated communities, driving fancy cars, and jet-setting around the world. "Fancy" is a relative term - for the poor, struggling to make ends meet, even an Alto is fancy. We all draw the line that is the most convenient to us - everything that is out of our reach, we condemn as unnecessary.

We want fast highways, fast internet, fast cars, good and clean hotels, fancy apartments/houses/restaurants, nice vacations, good schools, etc - but see consumerism as bad. How's that possible? How much of consumerism is good, and how much is bad? These are all very subjective metrics.

A majority of the world has gone the capitalistic way (even before Covid). Some countries are definitely having a rethink on rampant capitalism, and trying to balance it to bring about a more equitable society. But that's been a slow process for a very long time now, and it's not something that was realized suddenly.

Originally Posted by DCEite

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, reshaping the global landscape in profound ways. As nations struggled to contain the virus's spread, economies took a hit, societies reeled from loss, and people were confronted with their vulnerabilities. In the aftermath, however, something unexpected emerged - a surge in consumerism, skyrocketing incomes, and an insatiable hunger for more.
...
In the wake of the pandemic's retreat, economies experienced an astonishing resurgence. India, like many nations, witnessed an economic boom as pent-up demand was unleashed, driving a frenzied consumer culture. Citizens rushed to malls, restaurants, and tourist destinations, embracing their newly found freedoms with fervor. The increased demand for goods and services led to high incomes for some, further fueling a cycle of consumerism

But, does the hard data really substantiate what you say? If I see the world GDP growth (which I assume is the closest hard data we have related to the topic under discussion), it doesn't seem so. The graph has been relatively stable over 30 years.

https://www.macrotrends.net/countrie...dp-growth-rate

Another one:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator...022&start=1992

[evil_grin]

People respond to incentives. When the incentives change, people's behaviour changes.

Back when most of India lived in its villages, farming was the dominant occupation. Farming meant joint families and lots of free time during off season. It also didn't yield a lot of material wealth. Also the dependence on relationships with other villagers meant reputation was the currency of the time. So people spent a lot of time socialising, not chasing money and there was a lot of taking care of each other.

The next wave was of moving to cities for govt jobs. This is gave rise to the nuclear famil and, better wealth. Since there weren't night meetings and career progression was based on time in service and not impact, most people didn't over work. There was enough time for evening chats over chai/filter coffee and spending time with family and friends. Cohesion was within neighbourhood and colleagues. Many quality goods weren't anyway available so materialism was largely limited to a chetak scooter while working and building a house once you retired.

After the liberalisation of 1991 and the outsourcing boom came the increase in private jobs. And the proliferation of goods and services. Now, there was an incentive to work more. And there were things to buy from the additional income. So that's where the focus went. This was exacerbated by social media where you're now competing with curated lives of 1000's of people instead of real lives of 100's. However, since there weren't pensions for private employees, people were more balanced in spending now vs saving for the future. The move from independent houses where everyone knew each other to large apartment complexes where many a time you didn't know your neighbour started breaking down social bonds with neighbours. And because you didn't stay at a job for life, the bond with colleagues didn't get time to deepen.

COVID was a black swan event. It laid to waste people's plans to enjoy life later on. Seeing many loved ones die, the dominant thought was "Let me live while I can". This led to higher consumerism. What I find strange was that there wasn't a corresponding increase in focus on a healthier lifestyle and spending time with lived ones. Yes, people started taking supplements that claimed to increase immunity, but not a lot of people gave up lifestyle habits that reduced immunity e.g. junk food and sedentary life. Yes, the fortunate people spent more time with family during WFH but not more time with friends except the increased holiday travel.

Once people get their fill of consumerism and realise that it doesn't bring lasting happiness or satisfaction, there will be a change in priority to lead a balanced life again. This will take a generation or so. I'm already seeing that the next generation isn't choosing their careers based on what pays the most, but based on what they're interested in.

[Behemoth]

Very well written and I too have felt this change all around me. This is happening not just in professional life but also in personal relationships. It is as if people are living like there is no tomorrow anymore and just living for the moment. Social media has made it so much worse with people glorifying fake lives and fake experiences. The younger generations can also no longer distinguish between what is real and what is fake anymore and are contented to be just endlessly playing their video games and chatting with virtual friends.
Human relationships have actually hit a rock bottom and it does not seem to be looking positive at all. The general masses have also become vulnerable and apathetic at the same time. It really is a sad situation and I have a gut feel that it is headed for further chaos and disaster, driven by nature.

[deep_bang]

May be I am not fully in agreement of the original post. First of all, I still don't see myself turning more and more into a virtual world (less human interactions). If anything I am even more appreciative of human relations and interactions after covid.

My spending habits have remained nearly the same and may be even lesser as I realise the value of our relationships and strive to have more meaningful relationships than just spend money. An example is going out with family for a small snack every few days is more fulfilling than going to a 5star restaurant once a month. Because the focus is no longer on how much you spend but more about getting together as a family.

Similarly, at work, we usually remember all the good times we had not because of how much we spent but because of problems we solved, and the interesting journey we had.

Perhaps I am one of the smaller group of people who has reduced social media interaction over time. But social media was never mainstream. Agreed that there are many who are more into the social world than the real world. They are the most at risk of getting isolated. But I am also thinking it's a passing phase and usually such people get back to the real-world soon.

[Malyaj]

I do not think Covid or uncertainty has anything to do with the rampant consumption all around us. We were headed there in any case.

The resurgence you see in buying is limited to a very small section of society who have seen their incomes rise rapidly as a consequence of Covid, the reasons for which are well documented. A vast majority of our population has had to face a dip in their real earnings, either directly due to job loss during Covid, or due to surging inflation later. These people are not the ones buying 4 Cr apartments or expensive cars.

There is an undeniable impact of social media on travel and consumption. The former is understandable. Our population is vast and ultimately travel will become accessible to more and more people. The latter is partly a result of technology. Almost anyone can become an entrepreneur these days and start pushing products and services to you through social media. Among the millions of things being flashed in front of your eyes, you will end up buying something. I know people who keep getting Amazon deliveries all day, day after day.

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

While you've written the post very nicely, why do I feel that this is a rant?!

...

But, does the hard data really substantiate what you say?

A more relevant data point is the growth of domestic air travel :

May 2019 - 1.22 Crore passengers
May 2023 - 1.32 Crore passengers

A growth of 8% in number of passengers in 4 years compared to pre-Covid levels is good but hardly anything to crow (or gripe) about.

Source: Mint

Some of the opinions expressed by other commenters are also self-contradictory - e.g People are traveling more now vs people are spending time on social media .

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

While you've written the post very nicely, why do I feel that this is a rant?!


But, does the hard data really substantiate what you say? If I see the world GDP growth (which I assume is the closest hard data we have related to the topic under discussion), it doesn't seem so. The graph has been relatively stable over 30 years.

I'm not sure that this is a "macro trend" to reflect on GDP etc. It's very much there on the ground, not sure if it can be called macro or micro. Maybe this is more evident in the cities and not in rural areas so it doesnt' show up as a general trend at a macro level. Some examples that come to mind

1. All hotels and resorts are booked out for Fridays, Saturdays, Sunday and Mondays. This is not just long weekends, any weekend. Recently I had to make a visit to around Belur/Sakaleshpur and I was told that the resorts are full Fri - Monday in the recent months. The prices have gone steep ( For a similar resort I used to pay 1.5k in 2019, now it costs 8.5-9.5k and they are full ). Inference: Demand is more, people are willing to pay a premium to get what they want. I don't have to bring in additional data points like how every tourist place in a radius of 300km is agog with crowds all the time.

2. I have pointed out examples from my friend circles above as to generally conservative (bordering on stingy) people splurging on all kinds of lifestyle things

3. Rents of houses has gone up manifold. Houses for sale have skyrocketed in price. 7-8 crore rupee villas are being lapped up.

4. Decathlon is always flooding. Malls are flooding in the whitefield areas. I see more BMWs, Mercs at my office parking. My apartment parking area is teeming with XUV 7OOs.

5. Vloggers are trashing everyone's heads with their hyper-hyped videos promoting anything and everything, people making sure to visit those places at any cost because it was recommended on a reel etc

6. Bangalore pubs are full on Monday evenings (Monday!) so much so that a visitor from the US was shocked to see so many people at a pub at 6pm on Monday.

I don't really say that everything happened instantaneously after covid, covid lifted the gates off people's self-control and moderateness and loosened people's purse-strings. They saved a lot of money in those 2.5 years or they moved to better jobs driven by more digitalization during covid or remote jobs or realized the futility of life or trying to get over their covid depressions, whatever the reason maybe, it is more than visible in Bangalore. It sweeps you off.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

People are traveling more now vs people are spending time on social media .

I see people traveling all the time AND spending time glued to social media - at the same time!

Which leads me to wonder, why are they traveling at all? Inspired by social media and then to be on social media themselves!

[am1m]

None of the indicators quoted so far are anything different from what I've seen even pre-covid. The percentage of the population that is benefiting from the general increase in economic activity is rising as expected and they are using that spending power.

It's simply the way this economic model plays out. The sustainability and endgame of that model are different questions (and i really don't see how any of us can get judgemental, since we're all participant/beneficiaries too!) But I see absolutely no connection between covid and the natural growth in consumerism. Perhaps there was some pent-up demand during the lockdowns that got released in the 2 years post-covid, but everything described in the thread so far was going on well before covid, will continue.

Personally, I'd love to break-away. Would love to go for a month or two without buying absolutely anything. Without wanting to. Been dreaming about that for years now. But I don't see how. I mean I can see how, but i don't think I can/am too scared to do so! And so the cycle continues and whatever were luxuries 10 years ago for me have become basic necessities.

[DCEite]

At first sight, this video of a road rage incident might not loook to be remotely related to the topic of this thread.

However, dig deeper and you would realize that we as a community are living in a constant state of self destruction.

This one video explains the crux of this thread:

1. Ego clashes both on and off the road.

2. My car is bigger and better than xyz on road or my neighbour , and hence I cannot accept "defeat". (or in general terms, my possessions are superior to yours)

3. We need to run, run and run (A constant state of "Fight or Flight" , as explained by various theories of human psychology ) to win the rat race.

4. Complete disregard for human life, human connections and our value of our own lives, in general.

https://www.facebook.com/hvkumar/vid...53127028634300