Day 6 - 238 -- Privilege of Consumerism

Today's thoughts converged on two major public discourses that aren't clearly recognized as being opposed to each other. The first came to mind with the increased advertisement for online shopping sites. I've assumed this has to do with the notorious back-to-school shopping. Sites for school supplies, electronics, clothes and dorm room decor have had a definite 'in your face' quality. Marketing gurus have succeeded in convincing many consumer sub groups that online shopping saves time and effort. This pandering to individual desires struck me as being the epitome of self-centerdness, resulting in excess waste from packaging -- cardboard boxes and packing materials -- which flies in the face of the discourse surrounding sustainability. While packaging might be recyclable, the fossil fuels needed to ship the items are non-renewable. 

I have ordered items online that are not available close to my home in the little town in the woods. I try to consolidate larger orders to avoid multiple shipping boxes. I've encountered people who order a single roll of paper towels when they run out. Then later that same day order another item from the same purveyor. The instant gratification pushed at consumers, normalizes such behaviour. Larger distribution centers appear in many areas across the world -- huge buildings that house gigantic inventories, workers and increasingly, robotics. If you haven't seen the Doctor Who episode Kerblam!(season 11, episode 7, 2018), it ably addresses the next gen version of distribution with teleporting delivery robots within the broader context of privilege of consumerism and social inequities. It is worth the hour to view. 

The song lyric for today comes from  the same album as the song that began this blog. The selection for today is far darker than that first song. It has been a while since this artist has featured in the blog. Enjoy! 

No Man's Land -- Billy Joel