Are socially responsible brands really helping?

[RakshaTheCat]

46 minutes ago, FindingTheta said:

You'll have to direct that question to experts in mass media, sociology, and psychology. What I do is a small part of a needed larger solution, and this question is far beyond my ability to answer.

Uh, oh, well then, aforementioned book is by someone from sociological background, and it was not positive at all... Mass media people will probably tell you it's impossible because you can't monetize `boring` things like that... And psychology people are probably busy finding more ways to improve `coping, hoping, doping and shopping` mechanisms, so no useful answers from them either...

[FindingTheta]

21 minutes ago, Marcin said:

Uh, oh, well then, aforementioned book is by someone from sociological background, and it was not positive at all... Mass media people will probably tell you it's impossible because you can't monetize `boring` things like that... And psychology people are probably busy finding more ways to improve `coping, hoping, doping and shopping` mechanisms, so no useful answers from them either...

Though when it comes to understanding all of this better it ultimately comes down to the desire to do so, which requires studying, self-critiquing, and getting involved with local activists. This took me years to do, and tearing down an old framework and building a new one is emotionally and mentally exhausting. It also helps to insert yourself among people on the same path you are, which is easier said than done.

 

In some ways perhaps we are collectively fucked, but if there's a long shot we solve this crisis I'll take it.

[RakshaTheCat]

5 hours ago, FindingTheta said:

It also helps to insert yourself among people on the same path you are, which is easier said than done.

Could you say more about how have you found people on the same path as yours? Tell your story, you might inspire someone, especially since finding people like that is hard 😺

[InDefenseOfPOMO]

On 8/18/2019 at 10:23 PM, RoseGoesToYale said:

Many companies and marketers are becoming aware that young people prefer brands that have a positive reputation for engaging in social responsibility, as this article points out. Whether it's "sustainably sourced", or "buying this product saves bees!", or "made from recycled polyester", even things like veganism, fair trade, and organic, young people are eating it up. My dad's generation... wasn't even on their radar. Nobody cared what was in Pond's cold cream or where their vegetables came from, as long as it made no one sick and was affordable.

 

But how far does it really go? When a company tells us their product saves the bees, we have to take them at their word. There's no way for all the consumers to physically see how the product is stopping bees from dying, even if the company tells us what their process is. The only way to know for certain is if investigative journalism goes in there to verify if what the company says is true. What I'm wondering is... to what extent do companies tell the truth about social responsibility, and if it's less than scrupulous, why has my generation been so sucked in by it? And could this obsession be financially hurting my generation by convincing us we need to spend more in the name of social justice while companies aren't holding up their end of the bargain?

 

For the example of veganism, vegans have to trust that the fruits and veggies they purchase, as well as alternative sources of protein, are sustainably produced and actually helping the environment and animals rather than harming them or having no effect, otherwise what would be the point? Veganism is very difficult to pull off in maintaining adequate nutrient intake, and making mistakes can adversely affect one's health. What if the trendy hipster restaurant selling vegan lattes and cookies purchased their ingredients from unsustainable sources? It's not like the restaurant would be legally obligated to say so, not in the US at least, and even the restaurant may not know exactly if the food goes through a middleman.

 

What happened to producing a good product?

 

If it is extracted, grown, manufactured, distributed, etc. in a morally good way then it will smell, taste, feel, look and/or sound good.

 

No extrinsic baggage, such as "Sustainably Sourced", is needed for a product to be good. A product's intrinsic qualities are what make it good.

 

Basically, as consumers in the West we have a lot of mediocre products to choose from. Marketing like "Sustainably Sourced" is just a way to make one mediocre product better than a competing mediocre product in the mind of the consumer.

 

The overwhelming majority of homo sapiens sapiens had to abandon hunting and gathering a long time ago. Subsistence lifestyles are almost completely gone thanks to things like colonialism and "development". Surpluses, and middle men exchanging those surpluses, are mostly unavoidable. Nature and people being harmed is probably unavoidable no matter what product you purchase.

 

Harm to the Earth, non-human life, and people is an inherent feature of the way of life that is increasingly dominating more and more of the globe.

 

Other than replacing the system we have one defense: buy only high-quality products. Since most products these days are of mediocre quality, the latter would likely mean consuming a lot less--and being much happier.

[FindingTheta]

5 hours ago, Marcin said:

Could you say more about how have you found people on the same path as yours? Tell your story, you might inspire someone, especially if it's hard 😺

I went into community gardening to fulfil a need, and rather that buying things that temporarily made me feel good I decided to volunteer and connect with people. It was slow at first because of my social anxiety (it's really easy for me to isolate myself in my home and read all day), but over time I started to form friendships. Activists usually turn up at community gardens where I live, or they might even run them (the latter applies in my case), so as I started becoming a regular volunteer I started getting accepted into the community, and from there it became activism.