This notion of consumption got me thinking – why don’t we consume/use the things we already have?…
…we wear the same 20% of clothes over and over and ignore the other 80%…
…we buy books that we never read…
…we purchase diet plans that we never follow…
…and the list goes on.
Maybe we don’t need MORE after all.
On a personal note, I’m as guilty as ever of getting caught up in the exciting acquisition side of the equation, figuring that the “consumption part” will happen eventually.
Often, it never does.
Maybe this will be my resolution for the new year – “use it or lose it.”
Consumption is also a concept in economics and is different from consumption spending (the purchase of goods and services) as it focuses on the USE of goods and services.
What would happen if we put consumption to good use?
Consumption is hugely important in marketing too.
The value is not in the information (the tips, tactics, and strategy,) the real value is created by using the information in practice.
Information and knowledge remain “virtual” when not put into practice.
The clothes in your closet that you never wear have zero utility value too.
This consumption thing is actually pretty important wouldn’t you say?
Our USE would go up as would the VALUE of the things we consume.
Digital Consumers
The digitally connected world of today has changed everything.
Consumers are now digital.
Imagine that.
Digital consumers.
But what do digital consumers consume?
The online world of today is a vast wasteland of endless content that spews like molten lava from the digital volcano, destroying attention and engagement, and everything else in its path.
Consider:
- There are over 1 billion blogs online today
- 7 million blog posts are published every day
- There are over 1.86 billion websites
- 7.5 million articles get published every day or 2.7 billion articles per year
- 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every single minute
- 3.25 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube every month
- There are 3.5 billion active social media users online
- A new social media account is created every 6.4 seconds online
- Users average 7+ social media accounts
Being a digital consumer, these days is almost like having another job…
…you’ve got blogs to write…
…videos to create and upload…
…social media posts to blast across your vast array of social channels…
… emails to write and send out every day…
… text messages, podcasts, streaming, apps check-in, and more!
But really, what’s going on here?
I think it’s all about infotainment.
An easy way to keep ourselves amused and pretend like something important is happening.
That we’re building something of a “fan base” and imagining ourselves as budding movie stars about to break through on the digital screen.
Perhaps digital consumption has led us astray.
Quizzes
Speaking about consumption and the disarray of digital consumers – did you know online quizzes are all the rage these days?
Just check your LinkedIn for proof positive.
Quizzes are so in vogue right now that everyone is doing them!
I saw one the other day that asked people how much sleep time they get every night…
… and to not to my surprise, there were just under 10,000 responses in the last 24 hours.
This is important stuff folks.
These online quizzes are like the new census poll.
People ask random useless questions, and people give up their most precious asset (time) to provide useless answers.
It’s data for data’s sake – a complete waste of time and energy that adds to the cesspool known as the digital data junkyard.
Have you heard the new digital data acronym?
UGIUGO – It stands for useless garbage in, useless garbage out!
For me, this shiny new quiz hype is pure infotainment.
It so perfectly illustrates today’s herd mentality – the “jump on the bandwagon” status quo conformity “must be the new thing to do” noise machine of the day.
Consume as you wish my digital friends but check for relevance and utility value first.
Your time is your most precious asset – use it wisely.
Don’t let the digital noise polluters steal your attention away and prevent you from doing the important work in your life.
Consumption is a choice, and it’s getting harder to choose what to do next with so many choices, so be choosey!
(Didn’t think I could use at least 4 “choice” words in one sentence did ya?)
Now that’s infotainment.