“We must shift America, from a needs to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things even before the old had been entirely consumed. We must shape a new mentality in America. Man's desires must overshadow his needs.” - Paul Mazer, 1927.

I believe the ‘we’ Mr. Mazer (a banker at Lehman brothers)spoke of had succeeded, today a person’s desired not only overshadow ones needs—they also hide ones suffering. A suffering Americans are uniquely attuned too but avoid at all cost.

As the consumer landscape continues to develop and digital markets become the space individuals seek security, we should consider ‘what does avoiding suffering cost?’, and on the other end ‘what is the cost of free?’. As many in the conservative wing of American politics would love to inform me, “nothing in life is free” and for the most part they would be right; but one real cost can be felt in the ways you are exploited for the sake of your own desires. Convenience and consumer capital, create a super indulgence meant to keep the masses docile. In this docile state our minds are malleable, it’s here they blur the lines of consent and move offensively to convince us how to spend. We define ourselves by how we consume. Parading brands around like living breathing lifestyle advertisements, all smiling, all happy. Calm.