Consumer Culture and the Paradox of Choice in an Ambivalent Era of Emancipation of Individual Freedoms

Abstract

Consumer culture in modern societies is interpreted as a culture that maximizes the freedom of consumer choice. The emancipation of individual freedoms in the form of consumer choice is positively associated with the growth of material standards of living and the affluence of a society. At the same time, an ambivalent situation arises in the form of unintended consequences, whereby customers with increasing freedoms in the areas of consumer choice run into problems making decisions and the paradox of choice, all in a landscape that is becoming less clear and oversaturated with options and opportunities. The goal is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the ambivalent character of contemporary consumer culture in the context of intensified individualization and external options for consumer choice. The authors also seek to propose a theoretical model of consumer mentalities that is more resistant to the negative effects of the paradox of choice. This model is based on the Epicurean consumption pattern of voluntary simplicity, reducing aspirations, and delayed gratification.