Our consumer society

The high standard of living that we have in Norway means that we buy a lot of things. If everyone across the world were to live in the same way as in Norway, we’d need an additional three planets to provide enough resources.

Accessibility icon Our consumer society

Consumption and standard of living

In Norway, we buy a lot because of our high living standards. We also throw away a lot of things that still work fine. The waste causes problems for the environment. The junkyard grows every year.

If everyone in the world lived like Norwegians, we would need three planets to make sure that we have enough resources. We make things faster and more cheaply than before, which also makes us buy more. 

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En stappfull handlevogn rullende oppover på en stor rød pil.
En stappfull handlevogn rullende oppover på en stor rød pil.

Norway has become a consumer society

A consumer is someone who buys things or services from others. Instead of fixing things, we buy new ones and throw away old ones. Norway has become what we are calling a  throwaway society.

We need food and clothes, and this is necessary consumption. But we also have unnecessary consumption. These are things we don’t need to survive but still want, to feel well. 

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En stor haug med dataustyr som skal gjenvinnes.
En stor haug med dataustyr som skal gjenvinnes.

Online shopping

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular. One reason is the Covid-19 lockdowns for a large part of 2020. When we couldn’t go to the shops, we were able to shop online. 

Figures from Statistics Norway (SSB)show that the steps that were put into practice to control the coronavirus affected the buying patterns of Norwegians.

Over half of all card transactions were made online. The year before, it was just over 40 percent. Norwegians used 40 million kroner in Norwegian and foreign online shops in the second half of 2020. 

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En miniatyr handlevogn med varer stående oppå et tastatur til en laptop.
En miniatyr handlevogn med varer stående oppå et tastatur til en laptop.

Buying habits

Nowadays, people want to buy products that are friendly to the environment. Many people also want to buy organic food, which is natural food. 

Others want to buy the latest mobile phone or jacket, not because they need them but because they are of the right brand.

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En bil laget av grønne blader stående i et landskap med blå himmel og grønt gress.
En bil laget av grønne blader stående i et landskap med blå himmel og grønt gress.

The power of advertising

We are influenced by the advertising we see. We don’t always know it; it just happens. There is a lot of advertising on social media, and this can lead to buying pressure. 

Buying pressure means that you feel that you have to buy something, even if you don’t need it. Those who make the advertisements know our needs. Not least during the annual Black Friday!

When you watch sports or a film on TV, there is almost always an advert for food or drinks. This can lead to you finding something to eat or even buying something. 

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Reklame for handelsdagen Black Friday.
Reklame for handelsdagen Black Friday.

Influencers

The word comes from the English word “influence.” An influencer is a person who speaks on social media to influence their followers. They are easily believed by their followers. 

 

Businesses often work with influencers to have their product shown on social media.

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Ung influenser med rosa hår som viser frem en gullsko foran et kamera.
Ung influenser med rosa hår som viser frem en gullsko foran et kamera.

Sources:

  • Pihl, Roger: influenser i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 26. november 2021 fra http://snl.no/influenser
  • Klepp, Ingun Grimstad: forbruk i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 26. november 2021 fra http://snl.no/forbruk
  • Vikøren, Birger M.: netthandel i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 26. november 2021 fra https://snl.no/netthandel
  • Klepp, Ingun Grimstad: Black Friday i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 26. november 2021 fra https://snl.no/Black_Friday

Media Rights:

    1. Getty Images
    2. Getty Images
    3. Getty Images
    4. Getty Images
    5. Getty Images
    6. Getty Images – ABC News (Australia) – YouTube
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