How minimalism protects us from marketing and technology
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Introduction
Minimalism is not simply about owning less. It is also about regaining control of one's consumption.
And today, this control has become particularly difficult.
We live in a society where marketing is omnipresent and where technology allows companies to reach us almost constantly.
For example :
- An advertisement appears on our phone.
- A notification reminds us of a promotion.
- An influencer presents a new product to us in a very friendly way.
- A website recommends an item we had never considered buying.
A few minutes later, we suddenly crave something we didn't need before.
This is where minimalism can play an important role.
This isn't about rejecting technology or viewing marketing as something bad. It's about understanding its influence so we don't become passive consumers.
Marketing is no longer content with simply selling: it creates desires.
Marketing has always aimed to sell products. But the techniques used today allow us to go much further.
Previously, a traditional advertisement simply informed the public that a product existed:
«"Looking for a new pair of shoes? We offer several models."»
However, modern advertising often associates the product with success, comfort, beauty, or social status.
For example :
«"These are the shoes worn by top athletes. Revolutionary technology to improve your performance."»
You might think that these shoes will make you more efficient, more elegant, or closer to the image you would like to have of yourself.
However, your current shoes still work perfectly. Furthermore, without this advertisement, you probably wouldn't have felt the need to buy a new pair of shoes.
And that is precisely one of the traps that minimalism seeks to avoid.
Marketing can therefore transform a desire into the impression of a need.
The minimalist wants to listen to their own needs, not the sales needs of a company!
Advertising slogans
Products are no longer just products. They serve more as symbols of " success » or a positive feeling...
Sometimes, brands develop impactful slogans designed to appeal to people's egos, manipulating their emotions and perception of reality in order to boost product sales. This can sometimes blur the lines between truth and deception.
Here are some examples of well-known slongans:
- Because you're worth it
- Sometimes you have to change your style to change your life
- The best or nothing
- True beauty
For example, a well-known soda brand used the slogan "open happiness"”*. Can we really "open" happiness by drinking a soda?
In this case, companies are targeting customers' emotions, not their needs.
Technology amplifies the brainwashing
Marketing has always existed, even before the internet and smartphones came along. But back then, with the technology we had, the number of times a person saw the same advertisement was reasonable.
However, with the advancement of technology, this has changed.
In the past, an advertisement could appear in a magazine, on television, or on a billboard.
Today, it can follow us everywhere. And it's omnipresent.
Your smartphone knows your habits, the websites you visit, and the products that interest you. Platforms can then show you content and ads that match your interests.
The observation is simple: We are exposed to opportunities to consume much more often.
Example :
Imagine you're searching for a pair of shoes on the internet out of curiosity. A search that took you 5 minutes.
Then, over several days, you receive recurring advertising messages to encourage you to buy shoes (via social networks, search engines, etc.).
Your brain eventually gets the impression that this product is important.
Technology thus transforms a simple desire into a permanent presence.
Social media fuels the comparison
Technology doesn't just push us to buy through advertising. It also pushes us to to compare our lives to those of others.
On social media, we can see people daily showing off their new car, their house, their clothes, their trips, their smartphone or their equipment.
The problem is that we mainly see… what these people choose to show.
For example :
- People post pictures of their new cars, but they don't say how much they're paying on the lease.
- People post about a dream trip, but don't mention how many months they saved for it.
- You see someone by a pool, but that pool isn't theirs.
We therefore often compare our real daily life with someone else's carefully curated showcase.
And this comparison can create new desires:
«"I'd like to have that too."»
Then :
«"Perhaps I need it."»
This is how an object that had no importance yesterday can suddenly become very desirable.
Minimalism seeks precisely to break this logic.
It invites us to ask ourselves if we truly desire this object or if we simply desire what we think it represents.
Influencers: an advertisement that looks like advice from a friend
Marketing has changed a lot with social media.
Today, a company can ask an influencer to present its product directly to their community. And this is particularly effective because Advertising often resembles friendly advice.
Imagine that you have been following an influencer for several years. You enjoy their videos and you trust them.
One day, he presents a new smartphone:
«"Honestly, I've been using it for a few weeks and I love it. It's really great. I'll put the link in the description."»
The message seems natural and personal.
But behind this recommendation, the influencer may have received the product for free, and perhaps be well paid by the brand to make a video or receive a significant commission on sales.
This doesn't necessarily mean the influencer is lying or doesn't actually like the product. But we can't say for sure that their approach is honest.
In reality, if there is a commercial interest between the influencer and their followers, the influencer is simply playing their role: influencing the viewer to consume..
The risk to the consumer
Imagine that your smartphone is still working perfectly.
Before watching this video, you had no intention of changing it.
But after hearing your favorite influencer talk about the new model, you start to think:
«"The camera looks much better."»
«"My phone might be getting old."»
«"Ultimately, I might change."»
A simple recommendation (in the form of friendly information) has just created a new desire to consume.
The influencer succeeded in his goal, managing to influence you to buy his products.
This is where the minimalist needs to take a step back.
Before buying a product recommended by an influencer, you can simply ask yourself:
- Did I need this before watching this video?
- Does my current device still work?
- Would I buy this product if I had never seen this recommendation?
- Is this influencer only offering me this for their own financial gain?
The goal is not to criticize influencers, but to understand how they are paid and what their role consists of: to influence us to acquire goods so that he himself may be re-enumerated. Which means you often don't need it.
The minimalist must maintain this distance:
Appreciating an influencer does not mean needing all the products they recommend.
Promotions also use our psychology
Promotions are another effective way to influence our purchases.
Imagine that you walk into a store without needing anything.
You see a jacket at -50 %.
It was listed at €200 and now costs €100.
Your brain might immediately think:
«"I save €100."»
But this reasoning overlooks one essential thing:
You hadn't planned on buying this jacket.
So you haven't just saved €100. In fact, you've just spent €100.
For a minimalist, the important question is not:
«"How much will I save?"»
But :
«"Would I have bought this item if it hadn't been on sale?"»
We see that the problem is not the promotion itself. It's when it becomes the reason for the purchase.
Greenwashing: even ecology can become a marketing ploy
Marketing can also use our values to make us consume.
Ecology is a good example of this.
Greenwashing consists in particular of presenting a product or company as more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
For example, green packaging, drawn leaves, the words "natural" or "ecological" can immediately give a positive impression.
But an ecological appearance does not constitute proof.
Indeed, a product without ecological characteristics can be more ecological than green packaging with leaves.
The minimalist must therefore remain cautious.
He might ask himself:
«"Is this product really necessary?"»
Before even considering whether it is environmentally friendly.
Because buying a new "ecological" item when the one you already own works perfectly can sometimes be contradictory to a minimalist approach.
Often, The simplest and most ecological form of consumption is simply… not to buy.
Minimalism as a filter against marketing
Faced with all these demands, minimalism can become a kind of filter.
Instead of asking:
«"Is this product worthwhile?"»
The minimalist can begin by asking:
«"Do I really need an additional product?"»
This first question completely changes the way we consume.
Let's imagine that you already own a computer that works perfectly.
A new version is coming out with a faster processor, a better screen and some new features.
Marketing will naturally present these improvements as important. Advertising will make you feel that without these new improvements, you won't live well.
But if your current computer already allows you to work, study, and do everything you need, The new computer doesn't solve any real problems in your life.
So you can enjoy the technology without needing to buy it.
This is a crucial difference.
Limiting technology to limit consumption
Minimalism should therefore not only help us to buy fewer things.
It can also help us to limit our exposure to consumption.
The smartphone is an excellent example.
It's an extraordinary tool, capable of replacing many devices.
But it is also an open and permanent gateway to advertisements, promotions, social networks, notifications, and online shopping.
The more time you spend watching commercial content, the more you're exposed to new products. And the more you're exposed to new products, the more likely you are to develop new consumer desires.
Therefore, reducing one's use of certain technologies can have an indirect effect on consumption. For example:
- disable certain notifications
- limit social networks
- avoid shopping apps
This helps reduce the number of solicitations you are exposed to.
Sometimes, consuming less simply starts with watching less advertising.
The 15-day rule: regaining control
A simple method is to wait before buying.
When you want something that isn't essential, write it down in your phone or in a notebook.
Then wait 15 days.
Meanwhile, you don't need to convince yourself not to buy it.
You simply let the desire pass.
After 15 days, ask yourself:
- Do I still want to?
- Do I really need it?
- Do I already own something that performs the same function?
- Did I discover this product through an advertisement, an influencer, or a promotion?
You might sometimes find that the desire has completely disappeared.
Sometimes you'll see an item noted 15 days ago and wonder why you noted it, when it seemed indispensable two weeks before.
And that's precisely the goal.
Let time make the difference between a quick impulse purchase and a lasting need.
Minimalism does not reject technology
Reading this article, you might think that a minimalist rejects technology. That's not true.
On the contrary, technology can be extremely useful. For example
- A smartphone can replace several devices.
- A computer can allow you to work from home.
- The internet can provide access to an extraordinary amount of knowledge.
The problem is not the technology itself.
The problem arises when technology begins to control our attention, our desires, and our purchases.
The minimalist therefore seeks to use technology as a tool, without becoming dependent on what it offers.
Conclusion
We live in a society where Marketing creates desires, and technology allows us to constantly see them presented to us.
Personalized advertising, social media, influencers, promotions, automated recommendations. Furthermore, new technologies make consumption particularly easy.
Minimalism offers a simple answer: regain control.
This does not mean rejecting all technology, no longer watching advertisements, or never buying anything new.
This means learning to pause before consuming.
Before making a purchase, ask yourself:
«"Does this product meet a real need, or have technology and marketing simply created a new desire?"»
And before replacing an object, ask yourself:
«"Does the one I already have still work well enough?"»
These questions seem simple.
However, they gradually allow us to move away from automatic and compulsive consumption.
Minimalism is not just about having less.
It also consists of to have more control over what comes into your life.
Marketing can create desire. Technology can amplify it. But minimalism allows you to decide whether to give in to it.
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About me
Faced with not very effective financial education, as was my case before. I actually decided to create this blog following a change in my life since my early adult life.
Compared to before, I was a person who consumed a lot until the day I understood that my consumption was making me sadder and poorer. From now on, I prioritize the minimum of my needs to be happy and achieve financial freedom.
Without realizing it, I also began to prioritize savings and investments to depend on a boss for as short a time as possible and to accelerate my personal projects.
For several years I have felt happy and I have become richer in a way that I would never have imagined given that I have an average salary in Switzerland.
It is for this purpose that I decided to create this blog. To share, learn and teach with others who seek freedom, simplicity and long-term wealth.
Are you rather minimalist or frugal Jonny?
I am both a minimalist and a frugalist. However, there are situations where I lean more towards an art of living.
To conclude, I think the most important thing is to feel comfortable in your life and I have found a balance between these lifestyles without reaching the extremes.
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