My name is Matt and I’m from San Francisco and I currently live in Holland.
The main things I consume in a day are sandwiches, water, and red bull. For the most part the necessary things to maintain and survive.
The main things I consume in a week are McDonald’s, Subway, beer, and cigarettes. For the most part the necessary things to maintain and survive.
In order to be modern I need nice clothes, nice apartment, and great looking friends. If my friends are not great looking then that makes me look bad. There is a famous saying that says “you are only as good as the company you keep.” If my friends were say hillbilly then that wouldn’t make me very modern now would it? I like to be modern, modern is the cool thing to be these days. I would also need modern furniture in my modern house, perhaps Ikea would be the best fit.
In order to be happy I need good tasting food, plenty of beer, and money to burn. I also need great friends by my side. I need to have freedom to do whatever I want. I need to have sex on a regular basis. I need to have a cell phone and internet to stay in touch with peeps. Perhaps thinking unselfishly doing nice things for other people would make me happy as well.
The things I want to consume in my life are 5 star meals, expensive cars, and expensive clothes.
The items I most desire in my life are food, water, shelter, because without them you can’t survive in the first place.
My preferred methods of consumption are in excessive forms because it satisfies me.
The “social signals” that influence my consumption the most are;
1.) Being busy- gives purpose to life
2.) Freedom- gives life happiness
3.) Health- gives ability to enjoy life
4.) Common Sense- makes life easier
EXPEIREMENT
1.)Description-In this experiment each individual brought 10 low-priced items that we had lying around in our home to class to sell and/or trade. In the beginning each individual had the opportunity to trade the first three items to other classmates. The class was then divided into half, one being the seller and the other the buyer. We bought and/or traded our items with fake money in the amount of 50 euros. The person with over 60 euros was awarded extra credit.
2.)The comparison of methodology of consumption where different from student to student. Some wanted to sell their items and leave class with nothing and others wanted to actually acquire things. Some were also a little prudent with their money as others did not care too much by the prices.
3.)Some ideas for how you could document these types of exchanges-is pull from different demographic of students.
4.)Buyer/seller- I personally favored being the seller because I simply wanted to get rid of my items. I also felt more in control as the seller and who doesn’t like being in control? I know I do. Also seeing as I wanted to get rid of all my stuff I favored selling it rather than acquiring more things. The buyer has its own perks as well but unless they were selling beer I was not interested in buying.
5.)Explanation of group dynamic and outcomes of process- I noticed that most people in the class had their own type of approaching this experiment. Some wanted to get rid of their items and leave class with nothing as some however actually had a desire to acquire more items. In the beginning of the experiment classmates were more reserved or less involved but as time went on this changed dramatically and they got more involved.
6.)Personal reflection- I went into this experiment weaning to get rid of all my stuff and to not acquire any more. I accomplished this while others did the exact opposite. We all barter, trade, buy, and sell everyday but never have I examined the process’ and outcomes of such events before. In doing so I was able to get a better understanding of how and why we act in such situations. In similar situations I noticed how some sellers can be more proactive in drawing you in to sell you whatever their selling. And some buyers can be more proactive when it comes to getting the seller to lower his or hers prices.
The Culture of Consumption 