Experience-Based Consumerism and the Illusion of Choice

Objects are rarely the true commodity that customers choose to spend money on. What is offered is the transformation into a curated identity and the feeling of control, which are more potent. The modern pursuit of engineered feelings and simulated transformation is deeply rooted in evolving neurobiological and philosophical perspectives. ¹, ²

Research indicates that consumers increasingly prioritize experiences over material possessions. This reflects a move away from satisfaction derived from ownership toward the novelty of experiential consumption and the pursuit of variety. ³, ⁴, ⁵ It marks a significant departure from traditional consumerism, where pleasure was tied to possession, and instead points towards the investment in narratives of status and identity. Whereas objects and experiences were once pursued for their inherent pleasure, consumers now invest in symbolic transformations, in narratives of status, identity, and control.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaigns further reinforce this trend by shaping consumer perceptions and preferences. They present consumption as a pathway to meaning and connection beyond mere acquisition. ⁶, ⁷ Shopping engages neurobiological mechanisms that make decision‑making emotionally charged. Dopamine release contributes to its addictive quality, suggesting that consumers seek neurobiological reinforcement that surpasses the act of possession. ⁸, ⁹, ¹⁰

Automation strips away agency, and engineered feelings rush to fill the incompleteness, offering one illusion after another. ¹¹ This pursuit of simulated transformation is not incidental but an indication of broader philosophical and societal change. ¹² Variety undermines the depth of connection and fuels a perpetual cycle of unstable emotional attachments. In this process of unfulfillment, consumers lose themselves at the expense of wellbeing.

As a consequence, private ownership is being redefined as access rather than permanence. This is not a dystopian warning, but the logical endpoint of a system optimized for desire. What was once aspirational and luxurious now requires a trendy hashtag and has become downloadable.