Consumer Choice

Paloma Vazquez wrote How Language Influences The Way We View The World, reacting to a Wall Street Journal article Lost in Translation, on whether and how language influences culture. Both articles are fascinating reflections on how our words are shaped by–and shape–our world.

From my perspective, using a term like “consumer” sets a context and a meaning for our actions, describes our state of being, and limits our place in an economic hierarchy. While I find the term to be inaccurate and disrespectful, it’s also revealing. This is not the language of the world I want to support. We have many word choices; others offer greater potential and a more intriguing future.

Thanks to Jerry Michalski for the pointer to the article.

This is the first in a series of interviews on being a “consumer.” This interview features Jerry Michalski (Jerry’s work is found here and here), Tara Hunt (check her out here and here) and Doc Searls (here and VRM here).

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Download the mp3

Things mentioned in this call:

• @VirginAmerica (on Twitter)
• On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Dave Grossman)
• Pepsi’s work on clean water
• David Fromm
• peer relationships (peer-to-peer)
• The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change (Annie Leonard)
• We are more than what we eat (Doc Searls)

The word “consumer” is such a harsh and marginalizing term. It’s widely used by public relations people, metrics analysts, the public media, politicians, big brands, and damned near everyone else. However, I’m hardly the first to call bullshit on it. Back in 2003, Jerry Michalski offered several thoughtful alternative terms in his post ‘If not “consumer”‘ (his March ’03 archives). He pointed out that:

“Consumer” has become such common usage that it will be difficult to dislodge from everyday conversation. One of its most ingrained uses is the “consumer market,” which refers to ordinary people who shop at grocery stores, in catalogs and on the Web. How about calling it the retail market, as we used to? “Selling to individuals” also works.

The consumer market also encompasses manufacturers of consumer packaged goods (which we used to call food, dry goods or household goods) and consumer electronics (personal electronics? home electronics? home entertainment?), as well as consumer protection agencies and publications such as Consumer Reports, which developed to protect consumers from consumer marketers.

Dropping “consumer” does take a little getting used to, but being mindful of it is the important part.

I don’t consume the bus when I ride, I’m a rider. I don’t consume digital news, I learn and share it. I don’t consume music, I listen, dance, and recommend. I’m not always a consumer, I respond negatively to being marginalized, and I have choices.