My quest for interesting content continues, this time with Dr. Joseph Pilotta's comments on shopping and life changes on MediaPost's Behavioral Insider. I found the post interesting as a researcher because it shares points with some stuff I've seen in our own work.The premise (as I understand it) is that people going through life changing events tend to shop their way through them. I don't completely agree that shopping will always be the solution method and don't doubt that our society encourages such methods. I'll summarize my comments here.
The selection of life events in the interview all involve a change in the individual's social network, basically a shake up of the individual's support system. Any change in an individual's social network -- especially involving members of an individual's close social network, those that the individual uses to define their identity -- is transitional. Any disruption at this level of an individual's social network will cause them to go out of balance. Most people will attempt to regain balance via consumption, either through things or through other people. Media use could well increase during these times as a change in the individual's media usage could be due to their needing to find community (in order to stabalize an unbalanced identity) in familiar yet non-stressful ways. Also that their usage decreases once something has happened to regenerate balance makes sense.
An example of regenerating balance is a woman I knew who was always dating. As soon as she broke up with someone she was on the phone getting a date for that night, sometimes breaking up, driving home and immediately getting on the phone. When asked about this behavior she replied, "The only way to forget a man is with another man." This is an example of attempting to create balance in your life when disruption occurs. Here the consumption (as described in the interview with Dr. Pilotta) is with a person rather than an object (although I'll admit the difference can get blurry at times).
All in all, an interesting post and nicely done.
» True Power of the Internet, The Village, and Being Careful What You Wish For from BizMediaScience
The True Power of the Internet, The Village, and Being Careful What You Wish For [Read More]
Tracked on: December 9, 2006 9:46 AM | Permalink to Trackback