Motivation - What consumes your mind controls your life
There’s nothing wrong with spending money, but we often mindlessly spend money on crap we don’t need. Our brains are easily manipulated into consuming, and as financial writer Cait Flanders reminds us: “What consumes your mind controls your life.” And your finances.
In a post at her Blonde on a Budget blog, Flanders explains the concept of digital flow. Media scholar Raymond Williams coined the term and it basically explains how audiences are captured and held into watching a series of programs or channels. HGTV is a great example. You turn on an episode of Property Brothers, and between the home decor commercials and teasers for other home shows, you’re stuck in “home improvement” mode and ready to consume whatever else HGTV throws your way.
Flanders explains how, over time, this “flow” turns you into a weak, mindless consumer:
Not only does flow stop you from changing the channel, which results in a television network earning more ad revenue, it also exposes you to repeated ads for products that are specifically chosen to be pushed at someone who is interested in the shows on one network. While most of us don’t go out and buy something the minute we see it on television, seeing it repeatedly over and over again does plant the seed in our minds that we need it. Social media networks do the same thing, only it makes those items available to us with the click of a mouse. And considering that we now spend more time staring at our phones than watching television, it’s time to pay attention to how it affects our lives (and finances).
In other words, over time, we become obsessed with consuming without even realizing it. It happens all the time. So how do you combat it? We’ve given you some tips on how to program your mind to stop mindlessly buying stuff you don’t need. We’ve also suggested starting every day as a producer rather than a consumer. And Flanders discusses her own tips at the link below.
“What Consumes Your Mind Controls Your Life” | Blonde on a Budget
Photo by Pixel Addict.
