Many people usually buy items before studying them. They, therefore, lack information concerning the experiences of workers in industries that manufacture those goods. Most of the time, employees work for many hours under hostile conditions, yet their wages cannot satisfy all their needs. Consumers, on the other hand, only enjoy using the products. This work compares my past, present, and future consumer habits to the experiences of the protagonist in Tiffany Anderson’s article Thinking Beyond my American Consumerism.
In the past, I used to buy products without gathering enough information about them. When I was in my native country, China, I always bought my phones from the Apple Company. I, however, stopped buying their phones when I heard about the cruelty to their employees. The company employs approximately one million workers but takes advantage of their desperation to exploit them. It underpays them and makes them work for several days without rest. For example, employees who assemble and clean the various parts of their products earn less than $1.5 per hour. They, therefore, cannot afford to buy the phones they manufacture. The situation worsened when eighteen workers died because of these harsh working conditions in the company, but nothing has changed up to today.
The situation of workers in most developing countries is similar to that in China and worse than what Anderson’s character goes through (80). Industries in these countries export their products to countries abroad and sell them at very good prices, but the people who produce them earn very little from what companies get. Workers in such countries are living in poor conditions, and rarely find time to be with their families. The narrator in Anderson’s story can at least afford a car, and can even spend her money on dancing. These employees cannot afford such luxury.
Levels of unemployment and poverty in developing countries force people to take up jobs in such companies even when they are aware of their hostile working conditions. Buyers, on the other hand, buy products from shops that sell their products because they lack information about the production process. Sometimes, these companies offer the best products in the market, and buyers cannot avoid them. The girl in Anderson’s story is a good example of consumers who buy their goods because of these reasons. She does not know anything about the origin of her clothes. She only realizes later that they come from industries where sweatshop labor plays a key role in the production of most goods (Anderson 80).
In the future, I will be prepared before going to the market to buy any item. Having a plan will help me carry out a comprehensive study of the nature of the market. I will be comfortable purchasing products I know well. My study will analyze the entire manufacturing process, the undertakings of manufacturing companies, and how they treat their employees.
It is, therefore, necessary for all consumers to change their buying habits. They should start studying all products before buying them. Researching products will help discover what every manufacturer does in the production process. It is unfair to spend money on items whose manufacturers exploit their workers or compromise the quality of their products to increase their returns. It would be very good to support poor factory workers by buying goods from companies that care about their employees’ welfare.
Works Cited
Anderson, Tiffany. “Student Voice: Thinking Beyond my American Consumerism.” Global Issues, Local Arguments. Ed. June Johnson. New York: Longman, 2013. 79-80. Web.