I was watching a film called The Joneses last week. I happened to bump into it on Netflix, and after reading the synopsis thought that it might be worth watching. At the end, I admitted that my time was not wasted, not at all. Starring David Duchovny and Demi Moore as Mr. and Mrs. Jones, this 2009 flick is on “stealth marketing,” a type of marketing where consumers are unaware of the fact that they are being marketed goods and services.
Professional salespeople disguise themselves as normal people and show off their clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, electronic devices, cars, phones, food and drink, in short, everything, so that the people around them feel an indomitable desire to buy them. The film also shows the tragic death of a man, who, after seeing that his credit card bill skyrocketed, commits suicide in his swimming pool. His spending spree to keep up with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the undercover marketers, cost him his life.
The film reminded me of a similar competition for status that we see everyday on Facebook.
In today's world, many of us are constantly trying to “keep up with the Joneses.” We are comparing our material possessions with those of our neighbours'. But some of it is also seen in the virtual world of Facebook, where users are instantly and constantly putting up on their statuses what they are eating, drinking and buying. It is not that I never do what others are doing but these days I question the need to write on my status the model of my new touch phone or the name of the hotel where I stayed on my last vacation.
People who cannot enjoy most of the luxuries that many of their friends enjoy in their everyday life, may feel a pang of sadness from reading about all the fun their friends are having. Isn't it an invisible competition that we have gotten ourselves into?
While one Facebook friend uploads photos of her recent Malaysia trip, another one uploads pictures of his last Thailand trip and yet another one uploads snaps of her one-month Europe tour. I am not saying that uploading vacation photos is bad or anything even close to that, but I know for sure that some people, who have never been outside their country, may heave a deep sigh and say, “I wish I had a life like that.”
A friend of mine was once saying, “All these Facebook photos and statuses remind me of my condition in life.” He is one of those who work 10 am to 8 pm each day to support his family.
Some people love to share every hour of their lives with their Facebook connections. How many of your friends are truly interested in what you had for lunch, what ice-cream flavour you are savouring at Club Gelato or from what boutique you got your Eid dress from?
I understand that to some people it is something that they enjoy. But there are times when I feel that by sharing such details of life, they are telling others what they are enjoying but others are not. At least one person among my acquaintances has created a Facebook album on her shoe collection! Narcissism?
Some of us are blessed with very comfortable lives -- hard work and luck brought to us expensive cars, clothes and houses. Maybe for some people there was not even too much hard work involved, maybe some of us just inherited a ton of money, or maybe some of us just learned an easy way to become wealthy in life. But as we enjoy the comforts of life and show them off to friends and family, we can sometimes try to think of what effect these superficial actions of ours might be having on some of our loved ones. Things are easier said than done, but I sincerely hope that these words just written will not be just words but promises to better the way I conduct myself.
By Wara Karim
The Daily Star link
Professional salespeople disguise themselves as normal people and show off their clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, electronic devices, cars, phones, food and drink, in short, everything, so that the people around them feel an indomitable desire to buy them. The film also shows the tragic death of a man, who, after seeing that his credit card bill skyrocketed, commits suicide in his swimming pool. His spending spree to keep up with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the undercover marketers, cost him his life.
The film reminded me of a similar competition for status that we see everyday on Facebook.
In today's world, many of us are constantly trying to “keep up with the Joneses.” We are comparing our material possessions with those of our neighbours'. But some of it is also seen in the virtual world of Facebook, where users are instantly and constantly putting up on their statuses what they are eating, drinking and buying. It is not that I never do what others are doing but these days I question the need to write on my status the model of my new touch phone or the name of the hotel where I stayed on my last vacation.
People who cannot enjoy most of the luxuries that many of their friends enjoy in their everyday life, may feel a pang of sadness from reading about all the fun their friends are having. Isn't it an invisible competition that we have gotten ourselves into?
While one Facebook friend uploads photos of her recent Malaysia trip, another one uploads pictures of his last Thailand trip and yet another one uploads snaps of her one-month Europe tour. I am not saying that uploading vacation photos is bad or anything even close to that, but I know for sure that some people, who have never been outside their country, may heave a deep sigh and say, “I wish I had a life like that.”
A friend of mine was once saying, “All these Facebook photos and statuses remind me of my condition in life.” He is one of those who work 10 am to 8 pm each day to support his family.
Some people love to share every hour of their lives with their Facebook connections. How many of your friends are truly interested in what you had for lunch, what ice-cream flavour you are savouring at Club Gelato or from what boutique you got your Eid dress from?
I understand that to some people it is something that they enjoy. But there are times when I feel that by sharing such details of life, they are telling others what they are enjoying but others are not. At least one person among my acquaintances has created a Facebook album on her shoe collection! Narcissism?
Some of us are blessed with very comfortable lives -- hard work and luck brought to us expensive cars, clothes and houses. Maybe for some people there was not even too much hard work involved, maybe some of us just inherited a ton of money, or maybe some of us just learned an easy way to become wealthy in life. But as we enjoy the comforts of life and show them off to friends and family, we can sometimes try to think of what effect these superficial actions of ours might be having on some of our loved ones. Things are easier said than done, but I sincerely hope that these words just written will not be just words but promises to better the way I conduct myself.
By Wara Karim
The Daily Star link
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