Ways You Can Combat Negative Consumerism

So you have woken up and realized that capitalism has one big major flaw - negative consumerism. When users consume and produce things that are harming society and harming themselves and have no self-awareness to it. They have no self-awareness to it because if they did they are less likely to buy the product. Companies know this so they try to create a society with less self-awareness to sell more products. I have created a list below to combat the negative effects on consumerism:

  1. Identify consumer services and products that have a harmful impact on yourself and society.
  2. Identify the corporations or organizations behind those products and services.
  3. Compare corporations and organizations, along with their products, to seek alternatives.
  4. Protest organizations and corporations by changing your buying habits, supporting different organizations, or advocating for policy changes.
  5. Minimize consumption by prioritizing needs over wants.
Corporations & Organizations That Are Harming Society & People

So I created a list of organizations I think are harming society and people. It's easy to get cynical about it, but I just wanted to identify them:

  1. Education (Pearson, Collegeboard, McGraw-Hill Education, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Cengage): High textbook and educational material costs can create financial barriers to access education, limiting opportunities for disadvantaged students. Overemphasis on standardized testing can lead to a narrow focus on test preparation rather than fostering a well-rounded education.
  2. Healthcare (Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma, Mylan, Novartis): Pharmaceutical companies have faced controversies related to unethical marketing practices, overprescribing of opioids, and contributing to the opioid epidemic. High drug prices can also be a burden on patients.
  3. Junk Food (Nestlé, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola): Excessive consumption of unhealthy junk food can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other health problems, straining healthcare systems.
  4. Clothing (Nike, HandM, Zara, Forever 21): Fast fashion can lead to exploitative labor practices, unsafe working conditions, and environmental degradation.
  5. Fossil Fuel (ExxonMobile, Chevron, Shell, BP): The burning of fossil fuels contributes to climate change, air pollution, and environmental degradation, impacting communities and ecosystems.
  6. Technology (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon): Privacy concerns, data breaches, and the monopolistic behavior of some tech giants can raise ethical and societal issues.
  7. Social Media (Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Reddit, 4chan): Social media can contribute to addiction, cyberbullying, misinformation, disconnection, and privacy concerns.
  8. Entertainment (Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Universal, Weinstein Company): Issues related to representation, diversity, sexual exploitation, political ideologies and labor practices
  9. Gaming (EA, Activision/Blizzard, Ubisoft): Concerns about loot boxes, microtransactions, and addictive gameplay mechanics can impact vulnerable individuals, including children.
  10. Mainstream Media (Fox News, CNN, MSNBC): Biased reporting and sensationalism can lead to misinformation and polarizing public discourse.
  11. Banking Institutions (Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Financial Trust Company, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank): Issues with predatory lending, financial crises, and executive compensation can negatively affect consumers and economies.
  12. Arms Manufacturers (Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman): The arms industry can contribute to conflicts and violence worldwide.
  13. Tobacco (Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands): Tobacco products are linked to a range of health issues, including cancer and respiratory diseases.
  14. Alcohol (Anheuser-Busch, InBev, Diageo, Constellation Brands): Alcohol abuse can lead to health problems, accidents, and social issues.
  15. Private Prison (CoreCivic, The GEO Group): Private prisons may have incentives to maintain high incarceration rates and may not prioritize inmate rehabilitation.
  16. Mining (Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Glencore): Mining can lead to environmental destruction and displacement of indigenous communities.
  17. Agrochemical (Bayer, Syngenta, Dow Chemical): Harmful pesticides and genetically modified crops can have adverse effects on the environment and human health.
  18. Private Military Contractors (Blackwater, DynCorp, Triple Canopy): Concerns about human rights abuses and lack of accountability have been associated with some private military contractors.
  19. Pesticide (Syngenta, BASF, DuPont): Harmful pesticides can impact ecosystems and human health.
  20. Factory Farming (Tyson Foods, Cargill, Smithfield Foods): Factory farming practices can raise ethical concerns about animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
  21. Government Institutions (CIA, FBI, NSA, ICE, DoD, TSA, EPA, Fed, DEA, NASA): Some government institutions have faced controversies related to surveillance, human rights violations, or environmental policies.
  22. Animal Rights (Peta): PETA's advocacy methods and campaigns have been criticized for being overly aggressive or controversial.
  23. Cosmetics (L'Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Unilever): Some cosmetic companies have been accused of animal testing and using harmful chemicals in their products.
  24. Charities: Some charities have faced criticism for inefficient use of donations, lack of transparency, or potential corruption.
  25. Activist Organizations: Some activist organizations may face scrutiny for their methods or financial practices.
  26. Religious Institutions: Instances of financial mismanagement or enriching religious leaders have been reported in some religious institutions.
  27. Security Companies (Avast, McAfee): Privacy concerns and potential data breaches can be associated with security companies.

Keep in mind this is highly complex and this list is incomplete. There are many organizations that do terrible things that should be added. CIA acts could be considered terrorism. HandM and Nike acts could be considered slavery. But let's be careful to not admit that people in the CIA are terrorists and people that shop at HandM and Nike are slave owners. This a is a fallacy. Specifically the fallacy of composition. And corporations have taken steps to address these issues. Some have not. But again things are much more complicated and complex. Nobody wants to know their phone parts were made by slaves, but how on earth do you solve the geopolitics of the world to stop thousands of nations and groups from owning slaves?

Videos

Here are some videos I found showing people talking about negative consumerism. They relate to what I am talking about heavily and I would really check them out if you want more info on this topic

So I just realized the world is so screwed up what the hell can I do?

I think this information eventually hits everyone at some point no matter how sheltered from the world you are. When I was learning the truth about how the system actually functions I didn't know what to do. Every single message I was told was a lie. It was all bullshit. Yes some people lack self-awareness and are stupid. But look at this list above. Are you going to somehow ban together and solve every single problem every organization has? No. There is not one human being in history who has done that because its an impossible feet. What are you going to do? Look at every human that does not share your value system and think "Well that person must be garbage because they support this organization who does this horrible thing". No of course not. One because you're committing a bias and two because it's impossible. And this is what you learn as you mature. Most people have good intentions. As far as I am concerned complaining about every single corporation and every single problem would be absolutely exhausting as an individual. And being a cynical asshole yelling at people makes you feel terrible. In the moment you don't realize it but years will go by and you will think, God I wish I had not said that. I wish I was more nice. I wish I was more nice to myself and people around me. What was wrong with me? Being an asshole does not feel good and it does not solve anything. I have to keep reminding myself this as I transition into an adult. In any regard, information overload contributes to our lack of self awareness. So going back to the steps to combat negative consumerism we have already completed steps 1 and 2 lets complete steps 3.

Resources To Compare

So here are some resources to compare various organizations. I find this very useful for alternatives and constantly comparing products and organizations creates smarter more educated consumers. I also think AI will be used heavily for this in the future. If done right this can make a lot of elements of capitalism stronger. If done wrong it can have disastrous effects.

Compare food products?

Fooducate

Open Food Facts

Compare software products?

Alternativeio

Producthunt

Slant

Compare beauty products?

CosDNA

Compare finance products?

NerdWallet

Investopedia

Documentaries

Also if you hate journalism and don't who to trust, there is an authenticity to a well researched documentary that is like nothing else on earth. I god damn love good documentaries. Although you still have to be careful, it's not bullshit multi-billion dollar super hero feel good movie spit out of the conglomerate entertainment diarrhea ass.

  • Frontline
  • Independent Lens
  • Fault Lines Aljazeera
  • NOVA
  • VICE (Stick to war on drugs)
  • Netflix Documentary Films (Note with some of these it depends on the specific documentary)
  • HBO Documentary Films (Note with some of these it depends on the specific documentary)
  • YouTube (Depends but I love independent content creators)
Minimize Consumerism

So now we have a whole bunch of organizations who compare different organizations products to other organizations products. And you may be thinking how can I make sure to trust the organization which is comparing different organizations. Sometimes you just have to learn to trust organizations because what other choice do you have? Which brings us to step 5. Stop buying so much crap. "I needy to buy crap so people like me." Friendships and relationships should be formed based on values, life situation, vulnerabilities, projects, skills, NOT just on consumerism. Friendships that only relate over consumerism suck. There is more to life than mindless consumerism. Consume when you have to, but always remember to be an intelligent consumer and producer. Remember you live based on your values, so if you want a better society you must consume with a responsibility.