Latent Needs and Consumer Zen

Many environmentalists agree that one of the largest issues facing the natural world is overconsumption by humans. Overconsumption means using resources at a rate such that they will not be available for future generations. In order to understand overconsumption and it's causes, It is necessary to understand a bit of marketing theory.

In marketing, there is a concept called "latent need". The idea is that a good product addresses a "latent need" of the population, or, a need that the population did not know they had before the product and its marketing campaign were released.

The idea might sound silly, but the fact is we are surrounded by products that address these latent needs.

Classic example:
Nobody in developed nations had any need for bottled water until bottled water and its accompanying marketing campaign were released and scared us all away from our tap water.

In the past, fulfillment of latent needs has been considered a driver of a capitalist economy. Americans could take pride in the fact that as consumers, they had more choices than any other country on the planet. Now, we understand that buying unneccessary or inefficient products contributes to global climate change and a number of other serious environmental issues. It is the concept of latent needs that is responsible for us using more than our "one-world" share of resources, because it is responsible for the huge number of useless consumer products that we can choose from.

So: when you think about buying a product, ask yourself if that product needs to exist. Surprisingly often, you will find that the answer is no. If you are buying products that use resources and contribute little or nothing to your well-being, then you are falling into the trap set by marketers, and you are behaving like a "consumer" rather than a "human".

Examples of things that do not need to exist:
Bottled Water
Any clothing with a designer label
Rice Makers
All of those kitchen gadgets that are only applicable for one type of food. (holders for corn on the cob, garlic smashers, containers to hold your avocados in, etc.)
Soda
Styrofoam Cups
Phone Books
Wrist Watches
Glitter
Air Fresheners-especially aerosol ones

Now, more than ever before it is important to realize that consumption is no longer en vogue, it is a plague. We need to learn to be happier with less. Take pleasure in things that do not require resources, and be critical of things that do.