The Christmas business

We associate Christmas with consumption. "We take advantage of most holidays to consume. We have the excuse of gifts, gastronomy, or books," says Albert Vinyals, professor of consumer psychology at the UAB and ESIC and author ofThe Deranged Consumer: A Diagnostic Manual of Consumer Pathologies(2020).

We maintain the celebrations of the liturgical calendar, but the difference is that now these festivities serve as opportunities for consumption, such as getaways or other forms of spending: skiing during the December long weekend, showing our love by giving Christmas gifts, Easter trips, the Midsummer festival… “We are not very aware of the flaws we have as consumers and a lifestyle that revolves around consumer society,” explains Vinyals. He adds that we are so immersed in consumer society that we don't even realize the extent to which it has transformed us as a society, as if we had to prove our love and our connection to what consumer society offers us. This consumer society is very flexible; it has democratized desire by making us believe that everyone can access it: it offers different ranges—premium, mid-range, or low-end—and has a globalized production capacity that allows for products to be made at shockingly low prices so that everyone can afford some kind of Christmas; there are many affordable options for what we want.

Educating about responsible consumption

Consumption is closely linked to emotions and the construction of identity for children, young people, and adults alike. The emotional relationship we have with consumption is what companies and advertising exploit to encourage purchases. "It's difficult not to go crazy buying things because it means going against the grain," says Adriana Gil-Juárez, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Education Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). To try to achieve responsible consumption, she proposes being aware of our desires, social pressure, how advertising affects our purchasing decisions, understanding our own emotions and how they work, and not letting children be passive consumers: "The idea is not to prohibit the desire to buy but to help identify the difference between what excites them and what is an induced desire." She suggests deconstructing that desire and learning to manage it, talking openly about how advertising and companies try to generate emotions and needs, and making it clear that good relationships with others do not depend on consumer goods. "We must help them develop critical thinking skills, reflect together on the social and ecological costs of our consumption, and see that the family is consistent with this message," he concludes.