‘Don’t care how, I want it now!’ shouts Veruka Salt, from the weighing room of good eggs and bad eggs in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Veruka was once a clearly identifiable antagonist, but this can today be met with a modest dose of cynicism in this age of consumption. Can we any longer begrudge this horrid child of her demands? Raised with the comforts lavished upon her by her successful business owner father, she spends her days being granted all of her heart’s desires by a man so consumed by his own desire to please his ‘princess’, he dares not to discipline her. The pathway to hell is paved with good intentions. His wife, on the other hand, sits knitting in the corner, disinterested and disconnected, having no involvement in the rearing of her child. Is it any wonder this child behaves as she does in the company of others?
But fact is truly stranger than fiction, and Veruka’s plight can be seen as a warning about the trajectory we in the West are on if we continue down this path; drunk on consumerism cocktails in the hedonism hotel.
If, in this post-modern age, personal happiness is the greatest good, and there is no ultimate moral truth or obligation to those around me, why shouldn’t I behave like Veruka Salt until I get what I desire?
The iWant generation represents those within our society who have become accustomed to convenience. Complacent. Perhaps we’re all partially guilty of this. Comfort and convenience are good things. It is when our pursuit to rid our lives of any and all discomfort no matter the cost, that we arrive at a problem.
Too often, it is our independence, personal freedoms and our care for others that are sacrificed to the god of comfort.
Streaming services killed the video star. The convenience of an entire Video Ezy in the comfort of your living room comes at the cost of ownership of film. The dependence on their service leads you to absolve them of their increasing monthly costs.
Food delivery services destroyed family eateries and the home cooked meal. God forbid I should ever again need to speak to a stranger with contactless delivery, with noise-cancelling headphones on public transport; anything to maximise comfort and convenience.
I am preaching to myself. A guilty participant in The Comfort Project.
This comfort has robbed us of our independence. As these conveniences multiply, our knowledge base divides. How many of us in the younger generations are likely to have the skill set to repair and build and service households and vehicles like our forefathers could? How many of us are able to garden and farm, or knit and sew? These things empower citizens to fend for themselves during periods of adversity. But the corporate and political desires of constant consumer or constituent capital is designed to deplete us of our diligence and determination.
When those delights are threatened, we complain and moan via our digital avatars; we say the things we wouldn’t dare speak to one’s face. We demand the government acts. And it does. The political points are too easy to score. So it legislates, and we are robbed of our freedoms. But comfort is returned, and so we dull the edges of our outrage blade and settle back onto the lounge.
The iWant generation, despite having the power to hold these businesses to account themselves, has been so brainwashed by perfected marketing practices, and indoctrinated by the institutions – looking to government to solve all of its problems – demands policies and handouts, seeking to outsource responsibility when it should be voting with its feet.
Refraining from the purchase of products and services sends a powerful message to businesses that the amounts being charged are unreasonable. Already, as household spending has begun to tighten, we have seen an increase in businesses rolling out specials and sales to entice their customers back to the fold.
Slowly turning up the temperature of the water in a pot ensures the frog inside knows nothing of his demise. The same goes for the working class. Gradual changes to a service are more often than not tolerated, despite the reality that you have been taken for a ride over the medium to long term. Businesses bank on this truth. But they are also aware that the power will always rest with you. So be educated and aware, for your own sake, to compel honesty from our industries. Perhaps in time, we might inspire others to become participants in an iWill generation before our seemingly imminent metamorphosis into the iCant generation.
