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the wrong people.

Everyone knows that you can judge a society by the kind of trash it leaves behind. Archaeologists know this; they dig up even the garbage that ancient people have left. Often they can find hints to who they were as well as what happened to them. Everything we do leaves a print; every consumer choice makes a difference.

So, if we can look back to see how things were in a particular society, then can't we also see how things will be? Individual consumer choices make an impact. That impact can be desirable or undesirable. They aren't just a bunch of invisible phantoms who are making all these consumer choices; they are consumers. Just think of the population of all these consumers; there are more of us than just about any other animal species on the planet.

But, as civilized, intelligent creatures, we are capable of making civilized, intelligent choices. What should be outdated ideals are still lingering. We should know better by now than to indulge in unhealthy, non progressive choices. We can't be part of "we' without being an individual. Whatever is done by the "we" is first done by each one, separately. Each individual added up equals "we". Whomever is one of us is all of us. At least in this case.

This is why those marketing researchers who poll the general public are not selective about who they will poll; unless they are trying to reflect the demographics of the area. But any female who walks by will do if they are interviewing females; same for males, Blacks, Whites, and so on. And they often get pretty accurate marketing information as a result. They call me randomly all the time. They are prepared with multiple choice questions to ask me because they don't know me as an individual, but as a consumer, As such, most of my responses can be anticipated enough for them to approach me with an already narrowed down list. They know that my individual consumer choice is part of the group consumer choice.

So, to those who fancy themselves as so separate and unique, all the way down to consumer choices, I'm sure you are unique; but in a world of consumerism, you are just part of the collective. Funny, how we're all assimilated for the sake of material gain. Yet, society is far from where it wants to be. We're just the batteries that power the current system, rather than individuals.

We're all involved. We're all responsible. Through better choices, we can update our expectations for society. Or, we can just cling to the old and outdated and follow the crowd. But currently, we all contribute to the status quo; one person at a time. No individual consumer choice goes without making an impact on society and the environment; one way or the other.

Learn more about this author, Lana Evans.
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