27th Dec 2007
Virtual Gifting
People are spending millions on things that don’t really exist. Can it really be consumerism if nothing is consumed?: Reality-check or rip-off?
It also raises issues that came up in a Ms. Theologian question about the nature of giving. I assume that most gifts benefit both the giver and receiver even if they are virtual gifts.
Consumerism becoming a parody of itself. File under: irony.
Yet, bandwidth and time is consumed, though certainly it doesn’t fit the classic definition of consumption.
I purchased $10 worth of Facebook gifts (it was 15 ‘gifts’) and give them out once in a while. Usually in lieu of a birthday card for a person whose mailing address is always changing. I don’t see any difference between spending $1 for an online teddy bear and spending $3.50 (plus postage) on a Hallmark card - except the price.