Did you watch: "Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy"

Why do we buy and why do we declutter?

Many of you have probably already watched "Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy" on Netflix.If not—I highly recommend it! I recently watched it myself, and some moments left me genuinely shocked.

In my digital decluttering groups, I often say: Never blame yourself for spending an extra hour on your phone. Don’t criticize kids for wanting to play video games or watch content whenever they get a chance. Instead, let’s develop better strategies to deal with this!

Because we must always remember:

Every single day, top-level professionals—with million-dollar budgets and vast amounts of analyzed data—are figuring out how to make us spend more time on social media, keep our kids playing longer, and encourage them to ask for more things.

And ideally, they want us to not even notice how it’s happening. They want us to believe that resisting this manipulation is only a matter of self-discipline and willpower.

In other words, they want to make it our personal struggle—while they (armed with their powerful algorithms 😎) expertly figure out how to bypass our willpower altogether.

This documentary exposes many interesting moments!

Manipulations

It explores how major companies—like Amazon, Apple, and Adidas—actively shape a culture of excessive consumption.

They masterfully create the illusion that:

✔️ We desperately need a particular product.

✔️ What we own is already outdated.

✔️ Our old clothes just don’t look as good anymore.

How brands push unnecessary purchases:

🔹 Aggressive advertising that plays on emotions.

🔹 Planned obsolescence—essentially, deliberate deception.

Your device could last longer, but it won’t. Time to buy a new one!

One of the most fascinating aspects of the film?

It features interviews with former executives from major corporations who reveal what happens behind the scenes!

I find these interviews the most insightful—listening to people who left these industries, even when it meant lower income or a complete lifestyle change.

What makes someone suddenly choose ethics, honesty, and sustainability over the very system that once defined their success?

The Environmental Cost of Overconsumption

The film also highlights the staggering environmental impact of mass consumerism.

Here are some shocking numbers:

• 15 million unwanted clothing items are sent to Ghana every week.

• 190,000 pieces of clothing are produced every minute.

• 400 million tons of plastic are manufactured each year.

• Electronic waste is the fastest-growing type of trash globally, with most devices becoming obsolete in 2–3 years.

• 60% of all clothing produced gets discarded within a year of purchase.

• Half of all manufactured clothing is never sold—it ends up being burned or dumped in landfills.

There’s definitely a lot to think about.

I love seeing more films like this emerge because awareness is power. The more informed we are, the less automatic our consumption becomes.

And the more we can truly ask ourselves:

👉 Do I actually need this?

👉 Is this really outdated—or is that just what someone wants me to believe?