Essentially, how can having fun playing our favorite online game or staying connected with our friends on TikTok, ever be considered harmful? Most people don’t think about how often or how much they use a product or service. Many of our actions over time become routinized and consumption levels tend to gradually increase. As our consumption of using our smartphone, training for a marathon, playing our favorite online game, and other behaviors increase, so does the potential for harm.  We ask the question of how can overconsumption of everyday behaviors result in harm to ourselves as well as others? 

Consumers may have an increased preoccupation to be connected and consume technology. This gradual increase in consumption can cause social, psychological, financial, and even physical harm. For example, technology overuse has been connected to increased stress on family and work relationships. The negative impact of engaging in such behavior is mainly due to the ordinary, but progressive, nature of consumption. Similarly, individuals do not often associate the potential risks of an accident or hurting themselves or someone else when deciding to respond to a quick text while driving.

When an individual engages in harmful behavior, the response is often “I’m not hurting anyone!”. Some consumers will continue to engage in the behavior even as they begin to experience adverse effects (e.g., the excitement and need to see your tweet shared and re-tweeted by hundreds of Twitter users). We have many online communication tools that we can jump between as consumers (e.g., Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn, texting, Instagram, Reddit, just to name a few). These platforms deliver many different ways to engage in virtually; as consumers create their identity through their social media use and immerse themselves in the platform. In the end, we must recognize that technology is not harmless, rather it has an impact on one’s well-being, both positively and negatively. Thus, it is important for marketers to take responsibility for self-regulation and/or for policymakers to ensure consumers are educated and protected. To help consumers understand the progressive nature of overconsumption and potential harm, we argue that there are countervailing marketing strategies that socially responsible firms can implement for the public good and to support their own long-term economic health.

Seeking to increase consumption and customer loyalty is an important part of marketers’ strategies. Yet, companies must consider the long-term strategy of ethical design by making it easier for consumers to cut back on their usage because it is in the best interest of both consumers, society, and marketers. Google and Apple are leading the charge with the business philosophy of helping consumers form healthy, rather than addictive, habits around their devices. Additionally, there are many smartphone apps that provide consumers with ways to reduce and moderate their technology use (e.g., Moment, Google’s Wind Down). Google and Apple have seen that many of these third-party apps have attracted the attention and behavior of their customers, and these companies appear to understand that helping people consume in a healthy way is good for their long-term business and customer retention. Similarly, public policy makers and non-profit organizations have begun to realize the detrimental impact of excessive usage on some consumers’ lives and have begun campaigns to educate. For example, “Truth about Tech” and the UK’s “Digital 5 a Day” raise awareness about potential technology addiction while emphasizing a healthy balance with digital usage. Such campaigns can help to stimulate adaptive behaviors directly in consumers by creating awareness of the harm and guidelines to avoid harmful consumption as well as stimulate change in consumption environments through consumer activism, media attention, policymaker actions, and industry engagement.

Ordinary consumption behaviors have the potential to progress in intensity and inappropriate ways until such behavior may become harmful and problematic. This research presents an initial attempt to identify the progression toward maladaptive consumption and its potential reversal towards adaptive levels. This work also raises important empirical questions and proposes strategic interventions to enhance consumer well-being. There is more work to do in educating and moving consumers from overuse, to recognition, and finally towards healthier adaptive usage behaviors. This research establishes a foundation to direct the conversation of marketers, businesses and policymakers toward  actions and interventions to modify such behavior.

Published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs, 2020

“In Search of Well-Being: The Movement Toward and Away from Maladaptive Consumption”

Wendy Attaya Boland, American University

Ingrid M. Martin, California State University Long Beach

Marlys Mason, Oklahoma State University