Clockwise from top left: Dr. Rafat Alam, Alyssa Rhodes, Dr. Jordan Foster, Bonnie Dong, Dr. Hadi Chapardar and Dr. David Watson.

As we head into a season of spending, we’re asking members of the MacEwan community to share their thoughts on contemporary consumption.

Should we be concerned about social media-driven subscription culture and blindboxing trends (e.g., Labubus)? What influences our purchasing decisions most? And what’s the bottom line when it comes to what we buy? 

Here, six MacEwan community members weigh in.

What would you say about our current levels of consumption? 

Rhodes: Consumption today feels relentless and often unconscious. Society as a whole is hooked on buying more: more stuff, more upgrades, more convenience. Sometimes out of necessity. Often out of habit or pressure. Personally, I try to be mindful, but it’s challenging. The system is designed to keep us consuming, and I’m not immune to that cycle. 

Chapardar: I experienced the “abundance effect” firsthand shortly after moving to Canada. When shopping for a mechanical pencil, I was baffled that the only options were bulk packs of ten or more. A few of those pencils are still sitting on my desk after 14 years, while others have inevitably been lost or wasted – a small illustration of systemic over-provisioning that fosters unnecessary waste in high-income economies.

Foster: Consumption in the West continues to rise steadily, and while this upward trend remains strong, it is not as sharp as it once was. The “revenge spending” that characterized the 2021-22 post-COVID period has tapered off, with most Canadian households exercising somewhat more caution in their purchasing and spending. I try to be careful and conscientious about what I buy and how much I spend, but I’m not completely unplugged from the world of consumer goods.

Dong: The majority of our consumption is extractive and leaves greater negative impacts on the health of our planet than restorative responses.  One way to support diverse and regenerative forms of consumption is to vote with our dollars and support suppliers and services that meet our preferences. 

Alam: Canadians’ overconsumption has made us the world's highest per capita waste producer (food waste alone is $1,300 per capita per year). The majority of Canadian consumers still consume unsustainable, imported, cheap products, but even if we want to shift to more quality, sustainable and local options, our ever-decreasing purchasing power makes that difficult. 

What matters most – what we consume, how much or where it’s from?

Foster: What we consume isn’t just about the category – groceries or articles of clothing – it’s about what our consumption signals to others (“I support ethical fashion” or “I won’t eat anything that isn’t locally grown.”). How much we consume is also deeply meaningful. It can be a sign of virtue and a measure of our conscientiousness as consumers. Exercising restraint in the consumer marketplace, for instance, might tell others that we are discerning or modest, or maybe environmentally thoughtful.

Dong: It depends. There are many environmental and socially regenerative solutions out there, and it’s great to be aware of these options and find ones that work for me and excite me. I like to know where things come from, and I don’t like to over-buy; I’m not a fan of waste.

Chapardar: If I try to translate a multi-faceted “grand challenge” into a single actionable response, we need to curb the impulse to purchase what we do not need, especially during events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, as well as purchasing poor-quality bulk items from platforms like Temu or Shein. Global resource consumption statistics probably suggest that reducing overall volume is the most direct and universally impactful sustainable action a citizen can take.

Rhodes: All of it matters. But if I had to prioritize, how much we consume is crucial. Even “ethical” consumption can’t solve the problem if the volume is unsustainable. Where products come from matters too, but without changing our mindset about quantity and need, supplies and sources won’t fix the root cause. 

Watson: Consumption is tied to materialism – the degree of importance an individual assigns to the acquisition of wealth and possessions. A side-effect of materialistic values is compulsive buying (repetitive purchasing in response to negative events or feelings). While the positive effect of buying gives the individual a temporary alleviation of negative feelings, it has long-term negative consequences.

Will Gen Z change things?

Chapardar: Every young generation tends to seek change and express strong ambitions, but as we age and integrate into established systems, we become more conservative and self-focused. Gen Z's power lies in their willingness not to shy away from questioning deeply established and taken-for-granted attitudes. They are driving, particularly through digital activism and consumer choices. As Gen Z ages, I hope they retain their high ambitions to push for a better world. 

Dong: Gen Z is the most compassionate, emotionally intelligent and environmentally aware generation. If we listen to them, they will help guide us and ramp up our collective will to change.

Foster: Gen Z is environmentally minded, and that carries over into the consumer marketplace, with an eye toward circular and upcycled goods, as well as ethical sourcing and sustainability more broadly. Gen Z is more plugged into marketplace activism and demonstrates an appetite for consumer buycotts and boycotts. Taken together, their interests and willingness to protest will make a difference.

Rhodes: Gen Z is definitely more aware and vocal about sustainability. That matters. But awareness alone won’t change the system. Real change will require structural shifts, not just individual choices. Gen Z can push culture and markets toward accountability, but it can’t all be on consumers to fix the system. 

What to think about before we buy?

Rhodes: Why we feel the urge to buy so much, what emotions and social pressures drive consumption and whether those purchases actually bring meaning or just momentary relief. It’s a chance to break the cycle, to choose experience and connection over things. 

Chapardar: Can we prioritize buying items that are durable and multi-seasonal, or, better yet, ask ourselves whether we really need to buy at all? This challenge becomes particularly difficult when it comes to gifts for children. As an academic in the field of business, I often observe with concern how parents unconsciously equate buying more with generating happiness for their kids. Buying more does not make us better parents. 

Dong: Buying stuff for gifting is not always necessary to show others we care. Time spent together, whether chatting in person or via a note or text, can be a meaningful way to connect. 

Alam: Our responsibilities beyond family and friends – contributing to the greater good of society and the world through our individual choices. Only that can make meaningful, happy holidays.

Foster: As a sociologist, I’d say the holiday season is less an economic event than a cultural performance – a ritual that fuses generosity and anxiety with the desire to engage in display. One of the most radical acts consumers can perform this season is to slow down and think critically about what happens to the objects we buy after the holiday season, the workers who made the object or consumer good possible, and what it took to get it here. Consider whether experiences, local investments, or even time spent together might stand in place of a material good or gift. Perhaps consider making fewer purchases, each with more meaning.

Final thoughts?

Rhodes: Change means rethinking not just what we buy, but why, how, and how much. Convenience is easy, but living gently takes care, not consumption. 

Chapardar: From a macro perspective, conventional business is built on growing markets, which, over the long term, has shifted the economic system to make cheaper products with shorter lifespans. Like other systemic problems, a solution requires finding mechanisms within the entire system’s components. Whether we like it or not, we are those components. When it comes to making the system more sustainable, action starts with individuals trying to instigate collective actions

Foster: Consumption is never just about things; it is deeply meaningful and fundamentally social. In that sense, consumption is a bit like language: Be careful how you use it and think twice before you do.

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MacEwan University is a diverse community with 2,528 faculty and staff supporting almost 19,000 students. We are proud of our more than 90,000 alumni in communities across Canada and around the world. We could only fit six voices into this piece, but we invite you to join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.