During the covid-19 lockdown, I was furloughed and living alone, with a hefty stipend from the government. I did as any young twenty-something would do and spent my time feeding into targeted marketing. I bought new makeup, skincare, clothes, home decor - anything to fill the void of experiencing the real world. Corporations managed to profit more than ever, yet convinced us that it was our duty to ‘recover the economy’ once things opened up again. Which, yes - recover the economy by supporting local businesses, using public transportation, and participating in arts and culture. Not continuing to buy useless plastic from billion dollar corporations. Consumerism makes you think that you need to constantly have more. It has resulted in mental health and environmental problems just to scratch the surface. It has become increasingly hard to drown out the noise, but consuming less is possible and even more fulfilling than buying the hot new product in your feed.