2024-07-23

The Commodification of Experience

• Leisure has been colonialised by capitalism. Even when we are meant to be resting we are working to create value for the capitalist system.
• Social media encourages us to document, package and deliver our experiences in a form that can be consumed on platforms, thereby turning our experiences into commodities.
• The question then arises what is the value we are receiving by commoditising our experiences? The first thing that comes to mind is identity formation in the eyes of our peers – we are able to show what kind of person we are like. We are building a persona.
• Why is building a persona important? To help with self-esteem, to feel worthy and that one exists.