Critical consumerism

In addition, market-based political strategies of young citizens go beyond boycotting and “buycotting”; they also participate in internet campaigns, becoming active consumers.

[8] The phenomenon of political consumerism takes into account social transformations like globalization, the ever-increasing role of the market, and individualization.

[citation needed] Studies from the UK,[9] Germany,[10] Italy,[11] France,[12] North America,[13] and Scandinavia[14] argued that consumers are becoming increasingly politicized according to boycott and buycott principles.

Traces of these two concepts can be found at the turn of the nineteenth century in the United States, where the National Consumer League promoted the so-called “Whitelists”, in which companies that treated their employees fairly were listed.

[citation needed] At the end of the century, early forms of political activism in consumption took place in the United States and Europe, like the “Don't Buy Jewish” boycotts.

[citation needed] A variety of discourses about the “duty” and “responsibilities” of social actors arose after the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle.

[clarification needed] Boycotting refers to abstaining from buying—avoiding specific products or brands to punish companies for undesirable policies or business practices.

Buycotting is a term coined by Friedman (1996);[18] it refers to “positive buying” that aims to foster corporations that represent values – such as fair trade, environmentalism, or sustainable development – that consumers choose to support.

[clarification needed] Such initiatives show that critical consumption is really impacting in special occasions, gaining much more visibility than everyday boycotts.