During Black Friday, many stores lower prices, so consumers can take advantage of promotional sales and spend more than expected. But, do we really need to take advantage of all the offers we see out there?
what is “project pan”?
“Project Pan” is a new trend that has been going viral around the world. The new challenge of networks aims to break the wave of consumerism spread by the internet. The main idea is to use your beauty products until the end before buying new ones.
The viral videos and photos show products that were forgotten in the drawers, and that the intention is be used throughout the month. At the end of the period, creators once again show their evolution with the selected products, indicating which ones managed to meet the goal and which ones they will leave to keep using for the following month.
The name explains itself, “pan” means to use every last bit of products like lipstick, eyeshadow and moisturizer, among others.
Most products are forgotten and kept in drawers when we already have others with the same purpose, for example, it is common to have more than one blush, eyeshadow palette and other beauty products.
One of the main goals of this project is to get an idea of how many similar products we tend to consume and leave them lying around, either because they are expensive and we don’t want them to run out or we wait for the right occasion to use them. Due to the lack of use, it is common for them to expire without even being used.
When we create this awareness, it is easier to value the products we consume and stop making unnecessary purchases.
This trend can expand beyond beauty products if we think about clothes as an example. When you realize that there are too many clothes in your closet but still want to buy more, why not donate or get rid of the old and no longer wanted ones before purchasing new ones?
exaggerated consumerism, why is this trend important?
The ongoing trend of romanticizing mass consumption on the internet directly affects our everyday purchasing choices, normalizing the idea that buying what is fashionable makes you included in a certain bubble. However, this ends up becoming an endless cycle, as fashion is always updating as “outdated” products accumulate in our drawers. Furthermore, it creates a coping strategy against stress, since shopping can become an escape valve for bad days.
The culture of exaggerated consumerism has grown a lot due to social media, with many influencers advertising or recommending several products at a rapid pace. When a product becomes fashionable on the internet, it is common for us, as consumers, to be induced in buying such products.
At the end of the year, these unnecessary shopping trends tend to increase due to Black Friday and its promotional sales. We are eager to take advantage of discounts and get excited about our product choices, and often we only realize that we won’t use them when we pay the bills.
Such limited-time promotional sales encourage the rush to purchase, as well as increasing the value of products, making consumers think that this will be their last opportunity to obtain them.
consumer society
Generation Z is considered the most consumerist of the generations because, along with modernization, it has become easier to shop due to credit cards and other forms of payment, which are great examples of this evolution.
In addition to media influence, consumption in online stores has grown, partly due to pandemic habits, although it is common to have prices cheaper on the internet than in physical stores. Online commerce also allows you not to have to leave your home to obtain the product, which makes it very easy to buy with just a few clicks.
Materialistic ideas are much admired these days and consumers become victims of their own shopping system, where they feel the need to buy more and more.
less is more: conscious consumption
The practice of rethinking consumer habits promotes sustainability and a higher quality of life. Understanding that purchases are not linked to emotional problems, and actually encourage the accumulation of expendable objects, is the first step towards conscious consumption.
By avoiding unnecessary expenses, it becomes easier to value your own money and save up to achieve personal goals.
For a more sustainable, economical and healthy life, what do you think about trying to apply the pan project in your routine?
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This article above was edited by Mariana Aguiar.
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