Dear Fellow Consumers, we have a superpower.

I’ve never felt so compelled to use my power to choose like now.

Consumerism is pulling us left, right and center, but we still have the power to choose.

We can choose to resist the pre-Christmas buying spree (folly) or the so-called Christmas sales, at a time when most households are facing damning financial difficulties; some of us won’t actually even have the luxury to choose between an electronic gadget for their child and paying for the gas/electricity bill or xmas grocery shopping…

Traditions or social rituals can be a good thing; they map the path for most to follow, creating a rhythm that makes for a balanced and punctuated society. Christmas holidays not only allow us to take a break and hopefully gather with our loved ones, but also enable businesses to achieve healthy sales – fair enough.

However, when traditions like material gifting are impeding on our welfare, our actual happiness, we should feel free to ditch them according to what we really need, and without feeling bad about it.

We’ve never had so much media content to consume: streaming platforms multiply, traditional mainstream media put out their own versions of “buffet tv” with on-demand services, social media platforms literally siphon the little time on our hands, even book publishing has gotten particularly prolific lately as self-help gurus (thank you stress) and celebrity books (thanks…what?) compete to get on the bestseller lists out there (not exactly a token of quality).

Could we totally stop absent-mindedly scrolling on Instagram or Tiktok or binge-watching the countless shows on TV (I constantly have to delete lots of recorded TV shows that I never get the time to watch, just because I’m watching other ones!)? Erm…don’t think so…Besides, escapism is very much needed at times. However, if you’re like me, indulging in escapism will not only give you headache, but will also leave you wondering “what have I done with my time!” …

Stuff overload, content overload is suffocating; the good news is we can choose to engage or not.

Let’s use our superpower more.