Buzz
Spending money isn’t inherently bad, but we often impulsively buy things we don’t truly need. Our minds can easily be influenced, and as financial author Cait Flanders points out: “What consumes your mind controls your life.” And your finances.
In a blog post on her Blonde on a Budget site, Flanders discusses the idea of digital flow. The term, coined by media scholar Raymond Williams, explains how audiences are drawn into watching a sequence of programs or channels. HGTV is a prime example. You watch an episode of Property Brothers, and with the home decor ads and teasers for other shows, you’re locked into “home improvement” mode, ready to consume whatever HGTV offers next.
Flanders describes how this “flow” turns you into a passive, mindless consumer:
Not only does the flow prevent you from changing the channel, which boosts a network’s ad revenue, but it also bombards you with repeated ads for products selected specifically for viewers of that channel. While most of us don’t buy something immediately after seeing it on TV, constant exposure plants the idea that we need it. Social media platforms operate similarly, but with the added convenience of allowing us to purchase these items with a simple click. And considering how much time we now spend looking at our phones instead of watching television, it’s crucial to understand how it impacts our lives (and finances).
In other words, over time, we become fixated on consumption without even realizing it. This happens constantly. So how do we fight back? We’ve shared some tips on how to retrain your mind to stop mindlessly purchasing things you don’t need. We’ve also recommended starting each day as a producer rather than a consumer. Flanders also shares her own advice at the link below.
Image by Pixel Addict.
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