We consume what is priceless and what is not found on virtual shelves.

Abstract

This essay aims to reflect on and promote a theoretical and conceptual dialogue about consumption as a form of interaction in the media-saturated society in which we currently live. This leads to a thought-provoking question: Why do you consume? What makes you buy? The answers can vary widely depending on the context and subjectivity of the person answering. However, historically, it is possible to affirm that consumption has always been synonymous with social ascension, a privilege restricted to groups with greater purchasing power. Consuming certain products or symbolic goods often signifies a way of differentiating oneself and connecting with others. Above all, with the intensification and popularization of social networks, this phenomenon is commonly observed, where the attempt to aestheticize each moment, each experience, and each new consumption becomes evident. In a society marked by the logic of consumption, by the logic of buying and selling relationships as a fundamental aspect of structuring new relationships, what is perceived is that consumption is everywhere and intrinsically ingrained in the most diverse spheres of human relations. Consuming is not just about choosing, paying for, obtaining, and using a particular product or service; it is also, above all, an intimate search for belonging.