Podrobný výpis o publikaci

Consumer culture in modern societies is interpreted in sociological discourse as a culture that maximizes the freedom of consumer choice. This interpretation is based on the reality of an extension of variability of various classes, types, combinations, models, and modifications of products in the market environment, as well as the proliferation of the unconventional purchasing platforms of digital shopping. The emancipation of individual freedoms in the form of consumer choice is positively associated with the growth of material standards of living and the affluence of a society. At the same time, an ambivalent situation arises in the form of unintended consequences, whereby customers with increasing freedoms in the areas of consumer choice run into problems making decisions and the paradox of choice, all in a landscape that is becoming less clear and oversaturated with options and opportunities. Our goal is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the ambivalent character of contemporary consumer culture in the context of intensified individualization and external options for consumer choice. We also seek to propose a theoretical model of consumer mentalities that is more resistant to the negative effects of the paradox of choice. This model is based on the Epicurean consumption pattern of voluntary simplicity, reducing aspirations, and delayed gratification