After 30 years of climate studies, we are realising we are f*cking up the earth. The seawater level is up, turtles are getting stuck in plastic packaging, our climate is changing. You name it.
We find a solution in sustainability.
Then, we realised we were f*cking up ourselves too. After 50 years of happiness science, we realise what’s up: we’re miserable. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation, killing more people than terrorism, war and natural disasters combined.
We find a solution in consciousness. (what’s consciousness?)
Now, in 2018, we realize we’re f*cking eachother up. We’re f*cking eachother up in the way we relate — or more often do not relate or empathise with each other. A generation that has never been so connected online, has never felt so lonely and disconnected offline. And it’s this disconnected ego-focus that have caused us to f*uck up the earth for such a long time. Gus Speth, the Chair of the
United Nations Development Group puts it eloquently:
“I used to think that top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that 30 years of good science could address these problems.
I was wrong.
The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy.
To deal with these we need a cultural and psychological transformation.”
One solution for this disconnected perspective is inclusivity: promoting empathy for diversity between people. Making people feel a part of a bigger whole creates responsibility for that bigger whole, whether that may be the earth, an office, or a brand. So we see products and brands building platforms based on empathic experiences (see Reddit banner), releasing campaigns on empowerment (see Apple example) or releasing features to create a more friendly environment on social media (see Instagram).
Reddit banner, taken May 17th 2018.
Apple homepage, taken May 15th 2018. They have created a campaign showcasing all the features that empower people with disabilities.
Instagram update screenshot, taken May 23rd 2018. Instagram is putting serious product efforts into combatting trolls.
This is all great, but this newfound interest in inclusivity may come with marketing similar to greenwashing products (or should I say: packages) we’ve seen when sustainability was new in town. These are environmentally toxic products trying to surf the green waves by presenting themselves as being sustainable.
Legally, you can call anything “pure & natural”
What can the inclusive and conscious movements learn from the sustainability movement?
We’re seeing products and services that leverage consciousness and inclusivity interest the same way greenwashing products did with sustainability interests.
For example, the yoga industry recently blew up, growing from 6bn in 2012 to 17 bn in 2016. We see many wise teachers and as many picture-perfect teachers that are competing in the same old competition but are now wearing yoga pants doing it. I had this one yoga teacher say during his class “there is only one person in this class who is truly grounded, and she’s right in the middle”. I had just tumbled over trying to challenge myself into this new pose — which made me laugh — and then I looked up to see this women doing a perfect side crow pose in the middle of the room. It made me wonder: is that what it takes to be grounded?
A similar threat is happening when brands are marketing themselves as being inclusive. Are these companies truly designing for people to come together, or is this disguised packaging to make us more involved with our technology, and less involved with each other?
I would love to hear your thoughts and examples on this. Do you trust these brands to truly empower people? What kind of products or services do you think bring people closer together, or more conscious?
