How much time do you spend shopping?

Not consuming, but just browsing and looking. And while you look, you’re being sold too and sold.

Here’s a brief timeline of how shopping evolved.

Farms.

Door to door.

Bazaars and markets.

Stores.

Catalogues with home delivery. The first time you could browse and have it delivered.

Malls and shopping centers. Where you had to go to see what was available physically.

And now, there’s 24-hour access—not only for you to shop but also for the sellers to access your mind.

As long as you interact with almost any digital platform – you’re being sold to and sold. Even if you don’t need anything, you’re being reminded or told you do.

You’re on an endless cycle of being sold to. And being in a state of constant consumption is eroding our collective minds. A continuous consumption mindset not only increases financial pressures, but perhaps even more importantly, it consumes so much of your attention.

Right now, as you read this, you are looking at a block of text that doesn’t have any advertising aimed at you. Nothing reminds you that you could or should be either purchasing or considering purchasing one more thing. In fact, this might be the only thing you read today that doesn’t show you an ad or collect your information to sell to an advertiser so that they can sell you something in the future.

However, there is some hypocrisy in my writing because I, too, am trying to sell you. I’m attempting to sell you on the concept of stopping being continuously sold and sold to.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, don’t keep it secret – share it with one person you love.