Attachment theory and the modern consumer

During the five years of research, laying the base of my report¹, the consumer as a ‘concept’ emerged. The evolution from consumer, an invention dating from the Great Depression², to the ‘modern consumer’ brought a process of infantilisation³. A toddler-like attitude⁴ and behavior can be seen in nowadays consumers: focused on the here and now, desiring to stay young etarnally, dismissing aspects of an adult human being and a self-centered attitude.
Although the influence of commerce and marketing⁵ in this long and continuing evolution is clear, another explanation for this transformation could be proposed. Studying Attachment Theory⁶, as an approach of addiction and other deviant behavior, I discovered a long list of toddler-like aspects of insecure attachment⁷: blame others, avoid or even deny responsibility, selfishness, easily being distracted, and other traits that don’t fit a grown up human.
My theory regards the modern consumer as a fundamentally insecure attached⁸ child, growing up from a retarded devolopment in his early years. Basic human aspects, like caring for other people, focus on social groups and society, responsibility for one’s behavior, a desire to be meaningful, are no longer obvious. Instead, a craving for stuff⁹ and a striving for success¹⁰ and affluence¹¹ appears. This could also be an explanation of the Western societies as ‘every man for himself’¹². According to John Bowlby, the problems of today should be understood and dealt with at a developmental level¹³. We could use the insights the attachment theory offers to help create a more healty society¹⁴.

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8. Attachment disorder | https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/attachment-disorder.html#attachmentdisordersymptoms
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12. Paul Verhaeghe over zijn boek Identiteit | https://sociologiemagazine.nl/artikel/paul-verhaeghe-over-zijn-boek-identiteit
13. John Bowlby | Encyclopedia MDPI | https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/37467
14. Parents, partnerships and community: attachment theory and adult learning | Ted Fleming – Academia.edu | https://www.academia.edu/2996560/Parents_partnerships_and_community_attachment_theory_and_adult_learning